Debts and a Commoner
by September Watson
Summary: AU. Kyoya is overworking himself, and after a while, he makes a huge mistake and freezes his family's assets. The Otori family is as good as bankrupt! Because of this, Kyoya is transferred to a commoner's school. Will he stay obstinate and work tirelessly on the hacking of a bank, or will he learn a few things from a pretty girl and her commoner friends?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**So hi. This is September. So, there's a few eventual pairings: Kyoya and Haru, and Hani and Mori. I won't tell you the other. :) haha. And warning, Haru swears like once. She's the only who does that, go figure. Enjoy!**

* * *

Kyoya POV throughout

My eyes drooped terribly. Exhaustion was a great weight on my shoulders. The computer screen blurred for a moment and my fingers went slack on the keys. Many teachers agreed I worked far too hard, but I could never believe them. I had to be competent, and this was the only way.

Shaking myself awake, I proceeded to my first duty: diagnosis of patients. Several were easy, based entirely on doctors' notes, and I entered them into the computer. I'd memorized certain systems, patterns, that would make me intelligent on the matter of my family's hospitals. Because of this, I was convinced all our doctors were imbeciles. A child could do the job more adequately. Emails were then sent out to insurance companies explaining a few recent deaths. I analyzed a few voicemails about my marriage meetings, and deleted them from the database later on. The finances were my next stop. I'd taken it upon myself to do all the important jobs, because I didn't trust anyone not to screw up.

"Kyoya!" someone called from outside the control room. I quickly closed the site used for our finances, in the middle of my work, and pasted a jovial smile on my face.

"What do you need?" I asked. My father walked in and examined my position.

"I am just passing on word from your sister to go eat something," he said dubiously.

I nodded, but I really didn't plan on eating yet. This seemed to satisfy Father, and he left after casting a strange look my direction. Dropping my smile, I turned back to the computer.

I told myself to keep editing the accounts of my various family members, to make sure I stayed awake. Sadly, I was fading fast, fighting a losing battle. I continued for a couple of seconds, but then my body shut down.

* * *

Dreams reached me for the first time in a while, mostly because I hadn't slept in a while. A beautiful, long-haired girl whispered my name over and over, stroking my arm. Hadn't I told them all I didn't want to marry? Yet another female stood before me, thinking my money was the perfect thing to display. But this girl didn't want my wealth.

"Kyoya?" she asked angrily.

"Yes?"

"Think about something besides your stupid wealth and how the world is full of idiots! Look around! We exist, and you need to get off your sorry ass and find us." Her dark eyes were unyielding. "Damn rich boys. I have to show them what life is like without..." She trailed off. Everything shimmered around her, and I wanted to defend myself, but I couldn't.

"Don't expect anything to go the way you want it to. You might end up being brought back down to Earth," the girl finished. As she began to walk away, I drifted into a rude awakening.

* * *

Shouting echoed around me. I had a sensation of lying on the floor. When did I end up there?

"How can our accounts be frozen?!" someone yelled. I sat bolt upright, praying that my theory was not true, that something else had happened. No one saw me on the ground, but I waited until the people, I sensed about five of them, were gone to their business of worry and fussing to check the computer.

I pulled up the site used for the family finances after getting into a proper chair. Username, I typed. Password. Enter. The screen turned black. I tried pressing Escape, but nothing happened. Ten seconds passed, and my mind raced all throughout. Suddenly, a message in bold font came up in front of me.

"Only the person who deactivated the Otori account can reactivate it," I read aloud. I put my head in my hands. Apparently, my exhaustion had a consequence. I must have hit some keys when I was sleeping. I did this. I failed. All of our money could not be accessed. We were as good as bankrupt.

* * *

The next day, my father called my brothers and sister and I to a meeting. "I'm sure you've heard," he began, "that a criminal has hacked and frozen our assets. Until this complication is fixed, you will have to find other sources of cash. Kyoya," he gestures to me, "I will have to pull you out of high school. It costs too much right now. You'll have to go to a public school for the time being."

I nodded assent. My father looked relieved, as if he expected me to throw a fit. "Good," he said. "You will start tomorrow. We'll find out who did this and put them in their place, do not worry, my son."

I laughed bitterly, but I don't think he heard or understood. "I will complete my duties at whatever school you think is best. At your leave," I finished, extending my hand elegantly toward the door. All my siblings filed from the room, but my father stayed a minute more.

"Kyoya," he said after a moment. "Take care of yourself better. You look thin, and there are dark shadows under your eyes." So even Father noticed. It didn't give me any motivation to do so, however. I made myself look more like the obedient son I tried to be and told him I would. He could believe in that blatant lie, but I had work to do.

As soon as I entered my bedroom again, I pulled out my laptop from its case. Line after line of code spilled from my fingers into the desktop, driven by me, who experienced another sleepless night. I would have a few of those in the near future.

* * *

Morning came too quickly. I'd made absolutely no progress hacking into Yoshikawa Bank's website: the firewalls they'd put up were very difficult for me get over. But I couldn't stop; I could not fail. So I zipped my laptop back into its case and headed to the car that would take me to school.

I was unused to commoners' school uniform, but I hoped I was nondescript enough to not make a fool out of myself. I had looked in a decorative mirror on my way outside, and probably the reaction I would get was being a bit plain. For once I prayed the business with our finances would be cleared up soon. But then I chastised myself. Why would Kyoya Otori ever need to pray?

The first thing I thought when I saw the public school included wondering how so many students could fit in so small of a building. There were hundreds of them, popping up in every place you'd expect them not to be. The halls had dirt covering them, and the overpowering odor of perfume and plastic was everywhere.

I walked to the office with my shoulders hunched, and dark hair positioned over my eyes. It wouldn't profit me to draw too much attention. "I am the new student," I said once in the office. The woman I was speaking to nodded and rummaged around in a desk drawer, looking for my schedule. When she found it, she placed it in my waiting hands, and I left to find Room 2A.

Room 2A was upstairs, on the second floor. Every floor had ten classrooms, with thirty students per class. Classes were arranged by rankings according to grades in the year. Because of my grades earlier, I was put into the top class. I gazed out the window on the second floor. The sky was gray and dull, and below me were the congested streets of Tokyo. I didn't belong there, not a single part of me.

People stared at me when I entered 2A. The teacher, a dyed blonde female, paused in her lesson to tell the class, "We have a new student. Please make him feel welcome." She turned to me. "What is your name?"

"Kyo Shinohara," I replied quietly. "Please take care of me."

All the girls and half the boys squealed quite loudly. I didn't understand why they were excited, so I decided to ignore it. "There is an empty seat behind Fujioka-san," the teacher finished. Almost immediately a great multitude of the students began to glare at me. were commoners' emotions so volatile? I strolled to the back of the room, where a pretty girl whose features I couldn't see well raised her hand. Gracefully, I sat behind her, focusing my utmost on the English lesson.

As the day went on, I started hacking again. the problem was that with every line of code I typed, another part of Yoshikawa's firewall activated. None of my fellow classmates seemed to want to speak to me, which was a comfort, except one boy. He was naturally blonde, with a cheerful, energetic disposition who told me his name was Tamaki Suoh. I wondered why he was so flamboyant and friendly; perhaps it was the sugary commoners' food. Tamaki noticed my distress and asked me repeatedly about it, but I wouldn't say a single word on the subject.

"You need to stop with the computer," Tamaki whined.

"Why do you care?" I asked, not tearing my eyes from the screen. He reacted ridiculously, curling into a ball in the corner of the room and growing mushrooms.

"He does that if he feels abandoned or insulted," a voice remarked. I looked behind me and saw the figure of the girl I sat near. her features, now that I could see them, were vaguely familiar, and reasonably pretty, but something was disconcerting about her.

"My name is Haruhi Fujioka," she said, extending her thin, callused hand. I shook it, and Haruhi took the opportunity to gaze into my eyes. What she saw in them made her expression harden. she pulled away from me, making sure no one was watching. I was confused, and became more so when she suddenly yanked me to her chest. For some reason, I got rather flustered, probably because she was soft and warm and smelled like flowers, and shut up, Kyoya, shut up. Haurhi's lips brushed my ear as she said, "I know what you are, my little rich boy."

I moved her chin so we were face to face. She was expecting me to be arrogant, and I would fulfill her expectations. "And only I know what tools I have at my disposal," I said softly, wrapping a piece of her long hair around my index finger. I hoped she would not see through my bravado.

**The end! Not really. Kyo isn't related to En, Ten, An, Ken, Ran, Rin, or Shinnosuke. Smiley faces to any and all who got that reference! :) Sorry for the passive voice. I'll try to fix it next time. Kyoya is a bit out of character. Feeling flustered isn't his thing, but for the purpose of this romance fanfic, our smart little rich boy needs to get a bit flustered. I really do think Kyoya works too much. See y'all next time!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  


**Welcome to Chapter 2****! Thanks for continuing to read this. To all those who want fluff, I included a bit. hehe :) So yeah. Enjoy!**

* * *

Tamaki POV

Kyo and Haru-nee had a very tense relationship. It bothered me. Dear Haru severely disliked wealthy boys, so she was kind of alienating Kyo, but I sensed something more to that. Haru _really_ didn't like him, and I hoped they would make up.

Kyo was always on his laptop, typing fast and continuously. Sometimes I noticed from my desk kitty corner to his that he slept in class. His head titled back instead of forward, and he was exhausted when he was awake. I felt terrible for Kyo. I asked Haru-nee to be kinder to him, but she shook her head. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. If he wants to be self-destructive, that's fine with me."

I replied, "There is something wrong with him, and I think we can fix it. I want to help."

Haru shook her head again, her eyes shining with a sad light. "There are so many reasons I don't like him, and I don't need to bother you with them. And if Kyo needs us to help him, what he really needs is professional help. Let it alone, Tama."

I hugged her. "Fine, but remember to have experiences of all kinds."

She laughed sarcastically. "Kyo isn't an experience. He's trouble in an attractive package."

The week went by, Kyo slowly deteriorating, Haru not budging, and me in the middle, attempting to bring them together. Kyo didn't seem to mind me anymore, which was a relief, but when Haru-chan was near, his expression would turn slightly blanker, but his face would go a bit pinker. So maybe Haru helped a little, yet it wasn't enough.

When Friday came around, Kyo looked different than usual. His expression wavered between nervous and focused, and his cheeks were brightly flushed. Kyo didn't look healthy at all, and I told him so, but he said he was fine. A big red flag went up in my mind.

During English, Kyo's favorite class, I saw him quite obviously fall asleep, in the way you normally see people do it, their head pillowed on their hands, forward, not back. I tapped Haru-nee on the arm. Her violent gesticulations asked what I needed her for in the middle of class. I motioned to the black-haired hibernator. She made a sort of "Why would I care?" gesture. Haru ignored all my other motions, and I went to grow mushrooms in the corner.

When Kyo didn't wake up all day, I got very worried. At lunch, he didn't eat, when he was already malnourished and I couldn't tell him to eat. The end of the day came like an inchworm towards you, very slowly. I saw that Kyo hadn't woken, so I put my hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. Kyo didn't respond. I felt his forehead, but yanked my hand away: he was burning up.

Haru-nee had to listen to me, I thought. I waved her over to us. She came, a skeptical look on her face. "I think Kyo has a fever," I said.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she asked irritatedly.

My mouth dropped open. "We need to take care of him! Kyo clearly cannot and has not been taking care of himself, so we need to do it for him, at least for a little while. He is sick and," this next part was a mumble, "I think we should bring him to your basement."

Haru began to laugh, then broke off saying, "Oh wait, you were serious." She paused. "Hell no!"

"Haru-nee," I said. "We're the only ones that can fix this."

She stared at me hard for a few seconds, and then sighed. "Fine. I'm only doing this for you, though."

I smiled brightly. "You know we need help to get him out, right?"

"Time to call in the third-years."

* * *

Hani and Mori looked the black and white kings of the chessboard, Hani with his paleness and light-colored hair in white, and Mori with his dark hair in black. Their very similar heights and builds made it easy for them to carry Kyo out of the classroom. The two got to Haru's car, and I helped him in. We waited for the twins to show up for a couple of minutes. When they arrived, we all piled into the car. There were seven of us, so we couldn't wear seatbelts. Everyone told me to quit worrying about it, but I couldn't.

We experienced more traffic than usual, making Haru-nee quite frustrated. It took us a half-hour to get to her apartment, when it should have taken twenty minutes. Once there, everyone clamored out of the car, Hani and Mori taking Kyo. Haru unlocked the door, and we made our way down the stairs.

In reality, Haru-chan and her dad lived in the mostly functioning basement of an apartment building, meant to be the guest suite. Because her dad was away for the weekend, he wouldn't know we'd sneaked another person in.

Mori and Hani carefully laid Kyo on the couch, while Haru went to the kitchen to make porridge. The twins sat in opposite chairs and said, "We don't understand why this is such a big deal."

Haru yelled, "It was Tama's idea, don't blame me!"

Kaoru and Hikaru stared at me for a second, and then began laughing. "Do-gooder Tama-chan," they said. Hikaru continued speaking. "I'm fine with it, as long as I don't have to take care of him."

"I second that," Kaoru added.

Mori raised his hand. "Mitsukune and I have an appointment to keep."

Hani, with a surprised glance to Mori, started saying something, but Mori put a finger on Hani's lips. "I'll show you when we get there," he murmured. Hani's eyes were bathed in a mischievous light; he took Mori's hand, and they headed out of the basement.

Hika and Kao left soon after, bored of Kyo's sleeping figure. I expected that: if something was boring, the twins abandoned it. It's probably why they hadn't left Haru and I. The night grew darker, and my eyes began to droop at maybe 12 am. "It's alright," Haru-nee whispered. "You can go home now. I'll be there when he wakes up."

* * *

Takashi POV

Mitsukune's hand was warm in mine. I hoped more than I probably should have that he would like what I'd prepared, I was always the nervous one before our dates. This was the first date _I'd_ planned after all. He instantly put me at ease with a smile, saying, "I'm sure I'll love it."

"So where are we going?" he asked.

I grinned. "You and I are going to a restaurant. I can't tell you which one yet." Hani stuck his tongue out, but let me pull him along.

Just walking, we made it to the food center of Tokyo in about twenty minutes. Foreigners were milling around everywhere, with their stuttering Japanese and full pockets, but Mitsukune loved to watch them. People stared at our clasped hands in a sort of horror, but oddly enough, the foreigners just smiled. Soon we reached a small, warmly lit building. He turned to look at me. "Takashi, how did you...?"

"I did a few odd jobs around the place and started waiting tables. After a couple of weeks, the owner had given me enough money for the two of us to eat here," I said, a hint of pride creeping into my voice.

Hani wrapped his arms around me. "I never tell you enough how much I love you, do I?"

I blushed darkly. Only he could get to me like that. When we met, it was very early in our lives. Our families had been best friends for a really long time, and so Mitsukune and I were introduced at about age four. We were practically inseparable: no one ever referred to one of us without referring to the other. As we grew up, I had this feeling that maybe Hani meant more to me than just friends. It was confirmed when the car crash that had killed our moms happened. I reached over to protect him without a second thought, taking most of the damage. Laying in the hospital bed, I hoped I wouldn't die so I could stay with him. I told him I loved him in that room, when neither of us were sure I'd live. But I stuck it out, and we started dating soon after. Hani meant everything to me, and this date was me trying to prove that to him.

We walked into the restaurant and a co-worker led us to a secluded table near the back. She winked at us, and went to grab our menus. The two of us laughed and talked while waiting for our food to arrive. He had put his hand on the table and linked it with mine. "And remember Usa-chan?" Hani asked.

"That stuffed toy? I had to wrench it away from you on the first day of middle school!" I exclaimed. "You still have it, don't you?"

"Yep!" he replied nodding. I smiled. "You were so short then."

"You are very glad I grew, aren't you?" Hani said, a glint in his eyes.

"Most definitely," I agreed.

"Your food, gentlemen," another coworker said, walking up with two plates. When he looked up and noticed us, his face twisted into a sneer. "Oh look, it's the..."

"Don't even go there," I interrupted. "Kuze, leave us alone."

"What if I don't? Will you do disgusting things with my back turned like the bastards you are?" Kuze asked angrily, waving his dishcloth at us.

"Kuze," a voice said from behind him, "we need to be professionals. I understand you don't like them, but you need to make a good impression at this establishment." The voice was dangerously quiet. Surprisingly, Kuze backed off, but not without flipping us off.

"I apologize for his behavior," the voice said, emerging from the shadows. It belonged to a white-haired, pale-skinned, prince-looking boy that I was certain went to our school. "He won't do it again."

"Thank you," Mitsukune said, speaking up. The boy nodded, and turned back to his work. Hani looked at me for a second. "Why do you always end up protecting me?" he said softly.

"Because I love you," I replied. Mitsukune blushed.

"You'd make a very terrible bad guy," I said with a small smile. "You're too adorable and everyone would just want to eat you up."

"Well, I am available for eating," he said mischievously. I kissed him, not caring if anyone was watching, I didn't even care if Kuze was watching. My fingers wound in his curly hair as he kissed me back. After a few minutes of this, we split apart and ate our dinners.

Nighttime fell around us when we left. Hand in hand, we walked home. "You are amazing, Mitsukune," I said when we got to the door.

"No, I'm not," he replied. I tried to protest, but his fingers touched where he'd kissed earlier. "You are the amazing one, Takashi."

**There's my fluff for this week! It's longer than usual, but I had some time. I seem to be going back and forth between the main two characters and other characters. Weird. I hadn't meant to do that originally. There will be more with Tama later, just you wait! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! This chapter was originally going to be part of the second, but I couldn't let that date with Mori and Hani go. The fluffiest chapter is right here, folks. It might be a bit shorter. Sorry. Haruhi again swears a couple of times, but that's about it. Thanks to whoever is reading! September out!**

* * *

Haruhi POV

The God damn rich boy! He got sick by his own fault, and Tama expected me to take care of him. Then Hani and Mori abandoned us to go on a hot date, and the twins left because watching a sleeping boy bored them. But Tama was just tired when I told him to leave. He needed to rest, he'd had too much excitement. So there I was, the only one in my house, watching over an unconscious-looking second-year.

After everyone was gone, the basement was deathly quiet. I had a feeling Kyo wouldn't wake up for another several hours, so I did some laundry, ate some porridge, and made some Tama-style food. I felt a bit lonely without the noise of five boys surrounding me, but I did my best to ignore it.

I didn't really want to look at Kyo, but there were no other places to look. He was the only new thing in my environment. His glasses were entirely askew and his dark hair flopped over his face. Purple shadows around Kyo's eyes were just starting to disappear with rest. I padded a bit closer to him. Kyo was very pale as if he'd never gone outside his whole life. I knelt next to the couch and ran my fingers over his hand. Noticing this, I tried to pull my hand away, but couldn't. His fingers, I felt as I ran mine over his, had writer's bumps only on the left hand. Kyo must have felt my touch, because he shifted ever so slightly.

I hit myself on the head, jerking away. This was an arrogant, stupid, rich asshole, and I, being the stereotypical commoner, was staring at his hands! I didn't understand why it was so difficult to leave. Eventually, I came closer again.

Kyo's eyelashes fluttered as he dreamed. I wanted to reach out and see what their movement felt like against my skin. With every millimeter closer I moved, the more force it took to hold back. Soon my nose was a centimeter from his. Our noses barely brushed, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Kyo breathed, "Haruhi?" in a small puff of air.

Surprised, I stayed perfectly still, hoping he'd go back to sleep. Kyo rolled toward me with a blissful look on his face, and said, rather proud of himself, "Haruhi Fujioka." I didn't think Kyo was awake, his next mutterings were too incoherent, but when I moved to leave him be, he murmured, "Stay with me."

I went back next to him, this time standing over the couch. For a few moments, Kyo seemed content to have me nearby, but I noticed he did not have a pillow. I hope he never remembers this, I thought: my one moment of weakness. Without thinking it through beyond a second or two, I gently lifted his head. Situating my self under him, I laid it on my lap. Kyo instantly calmed, his warmth calming me as well. "Why you?" I whispered. "Why a beautiful rich boy that just happened to get sick and come here and look so sad and have that crazy arrogant look in your eyes? Why on Earth is it you?"

Kyo didn't answer, but his hand moved to cup my knee. "You have the strangest dreams," I breathed, oddly comforted. Drowsiness soon overtook me, and with the last thought that I hoped we would forget that night, and a few strokes of Kyo's hair, I drifted off.

* * *

Kyoya's POV

I knew something was wrong with me, one, because I was sleeping, and two, because I smelled something all too familiar that I couldn't place a name to. It creeped into my dreams and hijacked them.

Normally when you walk in a dream, you don't go anywhere, and I felt that. Everywhere I went felt like nowhere at all. People flashed in front of me, invading my calm, grassy scene. Tamaki came, with his worried puppy-dog eyes, my parents, with their evasive glances, and a pretty, dark-haired girl, beckoning me to follow. A violet-colored cloud surrounded her, a scent the likes of which I had never experienced. It wrapped around my fingers in a tendril of fog. I breathed in, sighing lightly. Immediately I found a name for the girl and the scent. "Haruhi?" I asked. Recognizing her name, she stopped walking and looked back at me.

"Haruhi Fujioka," I said smiling. Her figure clarified. Long hair formed a curtain covering most of her torso. She wasn't wearing the school uniform, rather a dress I'd seen at one of the Otori family's parties. She looked amazing, but I couldn't say that.

"Hi," she said, lengthening her arms to hug me. With Haruhi pressed close, I forgot any troubles I might have had. I kissed the tip of her ear, ever so lightly. For some reason, I didn't understand why I wanted to do that. All my logic pointed to moving away.

"Why are you here?" I asked wonderingly.

"You called me. But now that you got what you wanted, I can leave," she finished, her eyes turning cold. Her feet didn't make any sound as she started to walk away. I laced my fingers through hers, softly begging, "Stay with me."

Haruhi looked back at me. She sighed. "My little rich boy. Why on Earth is it you?" She reached up to stroke my cheek. "Who knew those words would ever come out of your mouth."

"I didn't," I whispered.

Haruhi smiled, a real smile that I had never seen on her face. "That's because you're new to this feeling."

"What feeling?" I asked, leaning into her touch.

She tapped my nose softly. "That you'll have to find out for yourself. I'm not telling."

Warmth enveloped me, the violet cloud Haruhi had brought with her wound itself around my body. The headiness of it all made a haze come over my vision, and Haruhi disappeared into it.

* * *

My eyes barely opened to a pitch dark room. Something acted as a pillow under my head, and what felt like a hand tickled my neck. Streetlamps shone out the window, adding a glittering beam of light above me. The sheen could only be of hair. When I looked a bit harder, all the details came together in a sensical pattern.

Haruhi sat sleeping, her head tilted onto the couch. Her hair exploded in a halo of black. My head was on her lap, and she had fallen asleep with a hand on my neck. I had no idea whether I'd fallen on top of her, or she maneuvered herself around me. My first instinct was to be embarrassed. This girl, I thought, has seen me at my absolute weakest.

Her sleeping face was much calmer and quieter than her active one. Haruhi was normally focused on schoolwork and being angry at me. But asleep, she looked so vulnerable. And beautiful, I thought. What kind of crazy had Tamaki been feeding me?

I settled back down, careful not to disturb Haruhi's hands or arms. As my dreams had faded into haziness, so was my memory of the scene. before I could drift off again, I took her hand from my neck and kissed her fingers. "Goodnight, Haruhi Fujioka."

* * *

Haruhi POV

I woke abruptly at about 6 am to a fumbling sound at the door. Now that Kyo had rested for a while, the chances of me waking him by moving were higher, so I didn't move, hoping it was Tama or the twins. It would be awkward to see Hani and Mori after their date, so I hoped it wasn't them. When the person opened the door, my worst fears were confirmed.

I put on my prettiest smile. "You're home early, Dad."

He dropped his expensive coat over the back of the couch, near Kyo's feet, and started silently making a cup of coffee. This was very bad, silence was always bad when it came to him. After several tense minutes, he pointed his spoon used for stirring in his creamer at me.

"I can accept most cute boys: Tama, Hikaru, Kaoru, that amazingly beautiful couple, but he is the one I want out of my house. Why? That boy is sleeping on my precious daughter's lap. He is a violation of all my beliefs!"

I raised my hand, as if asking to speak in class. "That boy you've been talking about has worked without sleep or food on this laptop project. Yesterday, he fell asleep and didn't wake up, so Tama asked if I could bring them here. I couldn't exactly refuse that!"

My dad cocked his very female head to the side. "What's this project you're talking about?"

"It's got something to do with the Yoshikawa Bank, that's all I know," I said, pulling out the case from Kyo's bag. "I seen the site up at least three times."

I opened the laptop, seeing the pretty boring desktop. He always forgot to log out when he closed it. Clicking on the search browser, I rolled over the History, "Otori Hospital: Clients, Otori Hospital: Patient Files, Otori Hospital: Contact Us, Yoshikawa Bank: Sign In, Yoshikawa Bank: Sign In (malfunctioning page), Yoshikawa Bank: Home, and only Yoshikawa bank after that," I said, reading aloud.

Seeing a weird-looking icon of the desktop, I clicked on it, and a white screen with thousands of words popped up. "This is computer code, isn't it?" I asked, looking behind me to Dad.

He nodded. "Because of the evidence, it seems that he's been trying to hack these websites. According to a client of mine, the Otori family recently went bankrupt, so either this boy is the criminal that made it happen, or a member of the Otori family." Dad paused. "Either way, I want him out of my house."

**I get the feeling Ranka-san is completely out of character. Please tell me if that's the case. So this is the beginning of Kyo and Haru's connection! Next chapter is a Tamaki POV. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  


**It's this long already! I can barely believe it. This one is in Tama's voice. So yeah, enjoy, comment, whatever!  
**

* * *

Tamaki POV

I was very restless in the class after Kyo came back from Haru-nee's house. He seemed not to remember anything that had happened from Friday to Sunday, and Haru wouldn't talk about it. I didn't understand why the two of them were so uncomfortable with each other.

Kyo was very kind to me, however. He said, "Fujioka told me you insisted on caring for me. No one has ever done something so nice for me."

"Really?" I asked, brightening from my thoughts of him and nee-chan.

And Kyo smiled. I'd never seen anything like it. "Yes," he said. "You know, I like you Tamaki. More than I thought I would."

"I get to everyone eventually," I replied grinning widely.

Later, I hugged Haru and said, "Kyo smiled at me!"

"You sound like those girls crowding around the twins." She laughed. "Was it that big of a deal?"

I gaped at her. "Are you kidding? That was a thousand-watt, million yen smile! The girls will be falling all over _him_, rather than the twins. Don't tell them I said that." Suddenly an idea came to my head.

"Haru, that's it," I breathed.

"What?" she asked, pulling back from me.

"Do you know how much money we could make by showing off our friends' charm? You and I would support ourselves for once, and Hani and Mori could go on more dates, and Kyo would be noticed more, and the twins get some fun, everyone would be so cheerful and happy! It works, doesn't it?" I asked, clasping her arms.

Haru sighed. "You'll have to ask everyone's permission, including Kyo. We will finish this conversation after school."

I fidgeted all through lunch, waiting for the end of the day to come. During study hall, I began folding paper cranes to occupy my twitching hands. I got to about ten when I wondered if paper cranes could really fly. I wondered if people could fly if they tried really hard.

My hand held held my best made crane, and I aimed it toward Haru's desk. Of course, I missed by several meters. The crane ended up hitting the back of a pale boy's head. Fixing for an apology, I watched as he picked up the bird and walked to me.

Looking up as he reached me, I couldn't stop my mouth from falling open. I had always known I was beautiful, but this boy was absolutely gorgeous! His hair and skin were the same platinum blonde color, and his features were delicate and small. His eyes were black holes I felt myself falling into. "Is this yours?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, struck speechless. He smiled softly. I stared again: his was another million yen grin.

"I'm glad you got it back. Now, if you'll excuse me." The boy walked back to his desk with a perfect grace. Where had that beautiful creature come from?

I stared after him for a while, until Haru led me to the empty music classroom, picking Kyo up on the way. He followed dubiously, not sure what this was about. I smiled encouragingly, and he relaxed.

Hika, Kao, Hani, and Mori had already arrived when we got to Music Room Three. Kyo seemed wary; I realized he hadn't technically met any of them.

"So, the twin on the left is Hikaru, and the twin on the right is Kaoru Hitachin," Haru said, pointing to each of them as she spoke.

"Haru-chan, that's not right," Hika said. "I'm Kaoru."

She shot him a look. "I've been able to tell you apart since the day we met. You are Hikaru."

Hika and Kao hugged her into a little Haru sandwich. "We love you," they said simultaneously.

"They're like my little brothers," Haru-nee explained to Kyo. he looked surprised, but sort of content, as if family was a rarely seen concept.

"Those two are Hani and Mori," I said.

"Hello!" Hani cheerfully exclaimed. "Mori and I carried you to Haru's house on Friday. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you all too," Kyo replied.

"We're like a great big family," I affirmed. "Haru and Hika and Kao are siblings, Hani and Mori are the gay uncles, and I am the father."

Kyo stifled a laugh. "Who's the mother?"

I thought about that. "You're correct. We don't have a mother." I paused. "Well, since you are now part of the family, how about you be the mother?"

His mouth dropped open. Haru-chan smirked. "You walked right into that."

* * *

I began to lay down my plans for us, "So I saw Kyo smile, and I realized how pretty we all are. Maybe we could use that to our advantage."

"Hani is especially popular for his cuteness and love of sweets. So is Tama, for his supposed utter hotness and wanting to make everyone happy," Haru supplied.

She laughed at the face I made in response to that, and then continued. "I was thinking of a sort of host club. Girls could get to know you all, pay per half-hour, and we would all benefit."

Our silence spurred her to say, "It was Tama's idea!"

"Why do you blame everything on me?" I asked indignantly.

"No one ever believes I come up with things like this," she justified. "Besides, you did come up with that."

"When should we start?" Kyo asked, holding a notebook from his backpack in his hands.

"Now," I said. I was given blank looks.

"We'll just do it in here. In fact," Haru-nee said, "they should be outside the door."

Kyo looked a bit flustered, as did Hani, but we all got in a group and welcomed the swarms of girls into Music Room Three.

We perched on some couches across from several decently pretty girls. I just was myself, and it seemed to thrill them, but all I could think about was the beautiful platinum boy.

My distraction happened to only be noticed by Haru, who gave permission for me to leave early. The school was deathly silent; my footsteps echoed on the tiled floors. I banged my head against my locker when I reached it. Why didn't I ask for his name? Why didn't I kiss him or hug him or ask to marry him or do something besides stare awkwardly? I didn't know why it was so hard to talk to him.

"Are you alright?" a smooth, quiet voice asked. I turned around to see _him_. Now I knew why. He was completely and utterly captivating, in the way of people that don't know how beautiful they are. I sank down to the floor in defeat. I would never be able to shake myself out of my stupor. The boy looked at me in alarm. "Are you really alright?" he wondered worriedly.

There was a pause before I answered. "What is your name?"

I thought I saw a slight blush on his cheeks, but that was impossible. "I'm Umehito Nekozawa, third year."

"Tamaki Suoh, second year," I replied, probably with a ridiculous blush on my face. "Why were you in my class?" I blurted.

To my relief, he grinned. "My class in noisy, and your homeroom teacher and I are friends."

"Oh." My gaze turned to the ground. I had been ogling a senpai! That was entirely incorrect behavior!

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Umehito asked suddenly, a hint of sadness and anger in his voice.

I looked back at him. His eyes glinted, with unhappiness filling their black depths.

"Is everything...?"

"Nothing. It's fine." He flicked his hand and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

After a long silence, I couldn't take it anymore. "I want to see you again," burst out of my mouth. I then cursed myself. I could never hold my feelings in for long. But Umehito didn't seem mad.

"I want to see you again also." A tremor entered his speech, but that made no sense.

Before reprimanding the very thought, I stood up and fiddled with the lock on my locker. Taking out a Sharpie, I held out my hand and the marker. "Can I have your number?"

Nekozawa POV

I took the Sharpie from him, my fingers brushing his. The back of his hand was soon covered in a neat scrawl of numbers. "My turn," Suoh said, taking the marker. His writing was careless, but I kind of like it.

"There," he said, cheeks turning slightly pink. "Now I can call you."

"I'd like that," I said, and meant it. His facial expression was all I needed in response.

* * *

I reached the restaurant later than usual, apologized to my aunt, and began waiting tables. I was glad it wasn't Kuze's shift: he would have taunted me endlessly about my hand. At 10:00, when my shift ended, I headed up the stairs to my small bedroom. I collapsed on my bed, wondering, _Why was, I dared to think his name, _Tamaki_ the only one I was dreadfully awkward around? _I gazed at the ten-digit number on my hand until I fell asleep.

**So I get that Nekozawa's OOC, but since this is an AU, it had to be like that. Tamaki met someone more beautiful than himself! there will be more of them later. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  


**It's September again. This is the one with probably the most fluff so far. Ah, fluff makes me happy. Here you go! **

* * *

Kyoya POV

Something was messing with my head. I never accepted that fully, but I knew it was true.

It had to do with Haruhi, of course. When her dad kicked me out of their house (at 7 am no less), I went home and realized I was missing something. The concept irked me to no end. What could I be missing that I left at Haruhi's house?

* * *

Haruhi POV

I stood in the back corner of Music Room Three, trying my very hardest to not fall asleep. Watching the boys charm girls until they couldn't see five centimeters in front of them was tedious and boring. Kyo effortlessly fitting in and making people squeal annoyed me to no end. But the money was needed by all of us, so I dealt with it.

After Host Club finished, Tamaki was the first to leave. He planned dinner, for once, and insisted on starting it. Everyone else filed out, going to their own places while I stayed behind to clean up. I always had to tell them to go; they never wanted to unless I convinced the boys.

I took out a vacuum from the closet across the hall. Plugging it in, I began to vacuum, trying to sing over the noise. All I knew were anime songs, so I really only sang when I was alone. Hikaru and Kaoru made fun of me for it. Speaking of them, in one of their strange twincest routines, Hika and Kao broke a vase. Inexpensive, but hard to clean.

After a half hour, the club room was very clean, except for the tiny shards of glass in the carpet. The glass reminded me of Kyo. He had a pretty-boy face (and body), and a secretive, arrogant, hot, rich interior. Damn, he pissed me off.

In my frustration at him, I reached down and cut my finger on the glass. "Tsu," I muttered.

"Now now, we shouldn't use that sort of language," a voice behind me said. I whipped around.

"Kyo! What on Earth are you doing here?" I asked, very annoyed.

He smiled oddly, genuinely. "Just listening; and planning future host club activities. Now that you cut yourself, I will be fixing it up." Kyo led me by my injured hand down the hall, probably to the nurse's office. He was surprisingly gentle with me. After scaling the stairs, I noticed something weird. The way Kyo was grasping my hand kept my finger from dripping blood on the floor.

"You think of everything, don't you?" I asked bluntly. Kyo stopped walking abruptly. I didn't know if he knew exactly what I was talking about. He took my injured hand in both of his, carefully examining it. I felt my face slightly redden as his thumb slowly ran over my knuckles.

"Some things I think far too much of," he murmured. His eyes were a bit sad, but Kyo hid the feeling with a tranquil smile. "You're bleeding on the floor. We should get to the nurse."

Kyo pushed open the door once we reached it and turned on the lights in the room. "Where's the nurse?" I wondered.

"She left an hour ago," he replied with his back to me, rummaging through cabinets. "Please sit down and make yourself comfortable."

I did as he asked, and he came back with tweezers, antibacterial spray, and a box of Band-Aids. His hair was falling in his face again, and I held my hands in my lap to try and restrain myself from pushing it back. "Here we are," Kyo said, dropping the supplies on a small table. He paused, tweezers at the ready. "You know I kind of need your finger to take the glass out."

Kyo coaxed my finger from its hiding place, accidentally stroking my thigh. I shuddered, but Kyo didn't seem to notice. He held up the tiny shard of glass when it was extracted. "Ask for help when you're cleaning next time. Otherwise we'll have to do this all over again." His long, graceful fingers operated the stinging spray and wrapped the Hello Kitty Band-Aid around the little cut, which stopped bleeding so profusely. "There," Kyo said sweetly. "All better."

He stood up, and I followed him. As Kyo walked towards the door, I suddenly asked a question. "Why did you help me?"

Kyo looked over his shoulder, his hand on the door handle. "May I ask you this instead? Why did you pillow my head on your lap and sleep with your constant guard completely down?" His tone was quiet, but with an acidic current running through his speech.

My mouth fell open. "Why are you a freezing cold bastard and then a really nice, sweet guy?"

Kyo stepped closer. "Why are you so goddamn intoxicating? This has never happened to me before, so why now?"

"Why are you playing with my feelings?" I asked, unconsciously walking backwards as he got closer.

He rapidly came forward, pushing me up against the wall. Kyo's body held me there; I could feel his ribs through our thin shirts. His eyes raked over my face. I didn't know why I hadn't the overpowering desire to scream and run away. _Maybe because the two of you have been this close before,_ a voice in my head said. "As you know, my family is quite well-off," Kyo began saying, acting as though he was telling me the forecast. "When I was young, the first lesson I learned was about profit. There is something profitable in everything if you know where to look."

"Is there something profitable about me?" I whispered, putting my hands on his chest to try and push him away.

He threw an arm up over my head. I could see my eyes reflected in his glasses, big and brown, but not scared. I was not scared of him. "The second lesson was about supply," he tapped my forehead, "and," my nose, "demand." and my lips. "For example, you are in a very sort supply." Kyo ran a finger along my jawbone. "So, there is a very great demand."

His nose was a millimeter from mine. I could smell his boy smell, and the faint scent of peppermint emanating off of him. "What is the point to telling me all of this? I took Business class." With a very soft breath, I continued, "And I'm not applicable to any of this."

Kyo touched my lips, effectively silencing me. "Haruhi, if you say one more word, I won't be able to stop where I wanted to."

"What..." I started to say, but he cut me off, pressing his lips against mine.

His hand moved to cup my face. My palms now kept me attached to him. He turned his head to kiss me harder, and I didn't try to move. Kyo was doing what he did best: entwining himself with what he wanted. Our lips slid together, not careful like Kyo usually was, but wild and hot. He flicked his tongue along my bottom lip, as if presenting me with a dare, and I parted my lips to accept. I didn't know where he'd learned how to kiss, but I loved it. He stayed completely in control of the kiss, however. It struck me how much he liked to be in control.

Our tongues tangled over and over, and I lost breath faster and faster. We hadn't broken the kiss yet. I wondered if he felt the same tingling from our bodies being so close. His fingers wound in my hair, and the other thumb trailed down my jaw ... to my neck ... down to my collarbone ... the edge of my shirt ... finding a bra strap. Kyo broke the kiss and pushed the strap aside. In the hollow between my collarbone and shoulder, Kyo bit the skin, doing strange things to the area and to me. A little gasp of pleasure and pain left my mouth. Almost as soon as he heard it, Kyo lifted his head and kissed my nose. And smirked.

"This can be our dirty little secret," he said.

My mouth fell open for the second time today, but no sound came out. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart," Kyo finished, strolling purposefully out of the room. I heard him laugh down the hall.

"Fucking asshole," I said, not bothering to lower my voice. I touched the spot Kyo had bit me, making sure he hadn't done any lasting damage. He'd left a red mark however, just like the shard of glass in my hand.

...

The next day, even Tamaki noticed how pissed I was. He asked me about it, being him, but I just shook my head and didn't answer. Kyo lounged on one of the nicer couches, writing in his black notebook. I glared at him all through host club, until he looked at me and gave one of Tama's million yen smiles. My facade broke for a second, as my body betrayed me with a red blush, but I went back to being pissed and glaring. If looks could kill, Kyo would have barbed pikestaffs stabbed through his beautiful lips.

I made sure everyone (and I mean everyone) had left before I started cleaning again. I sang a lot louder, trying to drown out the memories of Kyo. Why hadn't I pulled away? Why did I let him kiss me? There was a logical answer, I just didn't want to think about it.

I huffed in frustration, unplugging the vacuum. Pretty rich boys did not make any sense at all. Walking into the tiny changing room set aside for me by the boys, I exchanged my uniform for a tank top and jeans, hoping Tamaki would ease my mind at home.

* * *

Kyoya POV

Haruhi left an enclosed area wearing different clothes than when she went in. Her hair wound around her arms in long brown streams. I didn't understand why I'd made the mark peeking out from the right side of her tank top strap. I was so goddamn attached to her; I hated not being in control of my great desire to walk up to Haruhi and kiss her.

I didn't know when I felt different about her. Maybe it was when she wasn't in awe of me, maybe when she took me to her house to take care of me, maybe when she let down her guard in front of me. Maybe I fell in love with her when I realized I'd left something behind at her house, and it was returned to me when I saw her face again. Any way it went, any way I'd fallen for a beautiful, smart commoner girl, I knew how I felt, and that scared me.

I slipped out of my hiding place and padded to wrap my arms around Haruhi from the back, wanting to hold her for just another moment. She stopped walking, but didn't turn to yell at me. I stroked a finger over her hipbone, noting how soft her skin was there. _Haruhi didn't try move away from my touch._ If she had, as with the kiss yesterday, I would have stopped. No need pushing your feelings on someone that doesn't want them. Instead, she put her arms on top of mine and squeezed.

Giddy, I reached down and lightly kissed the mark I'd put on her shoulder. I moved my head to lay in the crook of her neck. She smelled so good. "What's your real name?" Haruhi asked quietly.

"Kyoya Otori," I replied, my breath causing goosebumps to rise on her neck.

"Kyoya," she said. My name on her lips made me shiver.

"Yes?" I asked.

Haruhi ran a hand back through my hair without looking at me. "What is this?"

I didn't answer, because I didn't know. After a few peaceful minutes, I started singing an American song. I was happy she'd studied the language so much, she'd know what I meant. This girl made me sing, and not just anime songs. She leaned into me, listening. Her index finger drew hearts on my arm. I wanted to stay like that forever and ever, until the world ended.

I couldn't have said how long we stood there, but after the time, Haruhi carefully extracted herself from my arms. With her back turned, she grabbed her backpack and her jacket. Haruhi looked over her shoulder, saying, "I still hate you."

I grinned and she grinned back, leaving the club room. Making sure she was gone, I flopped onto a couch. "I'm in love," I said aloud, trying out the words in my mouth.

* * *

Haruhi POV

After making it home, I turned on the computer the boys had given me for my sixteenth birthday. I could still feel the pressure of Kyo's arms around my waist. Shaking my head to clear it, I searched the lyrics to the song Kyo sang. Several search results popped up, and I clicked on the most promising.

"I'm feeling better ever since you've known me

"I was a lonely soul, but that's the old me

"But with you, I feel again," I sang quietly.

* * *

**I love that song. In fact, I love almost all OneRepublic songs. There's your lovely make-out scene, folks! Shout-out to those who read Horimiya and know another girl character that can only sing anime songs! Thanks for staying with me this far, and I promise more fluff is to come. Dear me, this chapter ended up really long.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**I probably should have said last chapter that 'tsu' in Japanese means something along the lines of 'shit'. Oops. Back to Tama and Umehito! Enjoy!**

* * *

Nekozawa POV

Tamaki was the reason I got terrible sleep for a few weeks. He haunted me day and night since I met him. After a while of texting, calling, talking, and dreaming, all I could think about was him. What would it feel like to have him in my arms? What would we say when there was nothing left to say? With every minute we spent together, those questions jumped farther and farther forward in my mind.

However, it scared me that I'd never been in love with a boy before. My first love had been a girl, and that failed completely, but when I saw Tamaki, I just ... fell. Having a boy occupy so much of your mind when you were sure girls caught your fancy was incredibly strange, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I went to school because of him, and I braved the sun so I could see him. Tamaki was taking me over, and I was happy to let him.

On a rather usual day during study hall (thankfully, a cloudy one), I walked to Tamaki's second year classroom. It was down a flight of stairs, and I had to pass a few windows, but the destination made up for it. As I entered the room, his face lit up. "Hi, Ume!" he said, waving me over. I blushed, just as I always did when he called me that. His dark-haired sister was seated cautiously next to him, but she smiled and moved when she saw me, giving me the slightest wink.

"Hello, Tamaki. How are you?" I asked.

He shifted in his seat. "Amazing!" he replied, throwing his arms up and around my hips. Hugging when one person is sitting and the other is standing sounds a bit awkward, but I was so beyond caring about that. I blushed even deeper as Tamaki buried his head in my stomach. His fingers delicately ran over my lower back, sending shivers up my spine. If just that touch could get me all hot, I wondered how more would feel.

Suddenly making a decision, I blurted, "Would you like to come and eat at my family's restaurant?"

Tamaki looked up, his chin still resting on my stomach. "I would love to go eat at your restaurant. What kind of food do you serve?" he asked in a childlike tone.

I turned my head away for a second, silently cursing how oblivious he could be sometimes, then bent to whisper in his ear, "Tamaki, I'm asking you out on a date."

His face reddened. "You really want that?"

"Who else would I want to go out with, Haruhi?"

He looked indignant for a moment, but said, "Yes, I'll go on a date with you," with barely any volume.

I smiled so wide. "Thank you."

Tamaki had a trace of a grin on his beautiful face. "For you, Umehito, anything."

* * *

I picked him up in my beat-up car, just a few minutes after Host Club finished. Tamaki attracted girls like moths to a flame, so I couldn't stay long at the Host Club without getting really jealous. But he seemed entirely unaffected by their attentions when he got into my car. He'd changed his clothes from a uniform to a button-up shirt and trousers. I was very happy he'd made an effort for me.

After about ten minutes of driving, I pulled into the parking lot. I didn't expect Tamaki to run around to open the car door for me and help me out. "That was really sweet," I told him as we walked through the door of the restaurant.

"It's only polite, princess," he said, his face lighting up, and his persona brightening.

"So, I'm the princess?" I asked, linking my arm with his.

"You're my only boy princess," he replied. "That makes you really special, Ume."

Ignoring my rising temperature, we entered, and strolled to a back table. I sat on the outside of the booth seat, right next to him, because I had a bad feeling. My feeling was confirmed when my aunt walked by, carrying three plates on her arms. "Umehito, Kuze canceled and Renge is swamped, so you need to come help us." Suddenly noticing the boy sitting next to me, her eyes softened. "He'd be happy to wait for you. I can feel it." She'd always had her romantic notions, and for once, I thanked her.

I sighed. "I'm coming," I told her. I looked over at Tamaki, who nodded his head, making shooing gestures with his hands. I stood up from the booth and walked purposefully into the kitchen, where my apron hung. Putting it on and tying the strings, I began to wait tables, telling Renge to cover the kitchen with the cook. She thanked me fervently, but I just shook it off. Because I was the only one working in the main part of the restaurant, I tried to be as efficient as possible.

The night went on so much longer than I thought it would. Table 2 kept housing these big groups of people with complicated orders, and Table 5 had a crossdressing man that ordered coffee every fifteen minutes. He looked a bit like Tamaki's sister, Haruhi. I wondered what he was doing here. Tamaki was so amazingly patient, just sitting still with his hands in his lap, smiling at me whether he was aware I was looking or not. I again remembered why I'd fallen for him: for moments just like that.

* * *

Tamaki POV

The night was fairly dark, so no one but we could see each other. The clock on the dashboard read 9:34 PM. Umehito was blushing brightly, grasping my hand. "Do you really love me? This would suck if you didn't," he said, as if expecting me to say no.

I leaned over in the backseat. "Why this question again? You've been asking this the whole time we've been dating. Two years is a long while."

"I just want to know if it's true," he whispered. "I don't want to let you go. Ever. I don't ever want you to leave."

"Well, that makes this question all the easier to ask," I said, pulling out a little box from my back pocket. "Will you, Umehito Nekozawa, be my princess, my friend, my lover, my everything forever? Will you marry me?"

The ring glittered in the streetlamp light, and so did his eyes. Tears ran down his face, and I wiped them away. "Yes, Tamaki Suoh, I will marry you," he said.

My mouth fell open, but I couldn't say anything. Ume laughed wetly. "Sweetheart, I'm the one that's supposed to be speechless. You proposed to me, not the other way around."

"But you said yes," I mumbled. "That means more than just my proposal."

Umehito slipped the ring onto his left ring finger, and stroked my cheek. "Now that we're getting," he paused to choke down tears, "married, there is something I want to do with you." I stared at him. "We talked about it before, and I respected your wishes, but I so badly want you right now."

I ran my hand through his platinum hair that I once followed through a crowd of people. "My turn to say yes, princess."

I kissed him, long and deep, and moved my hands down to the buttons on his shirt. He let me unbutton the first few, but soon pushed my hands away to unbutton the rest himself. His chest glowed in the small amount of light. I felt myself drown in his body, his scent, and ...

* * *

Nekozawa POV

"Tamaki?" I asked, waving my hand in front of his blankly staring eyes. "Tamaki?" Blood and tears started pouring from his nose and eyes. "Tamaki?!" I asked, now really worried.

He blinked rapidly, looking at me for the first time. What I saw in his eyes made me want to step back and closer at the same time. Love. Love filled him as he gazed at me like a man just awoken from a dream. "Why hello, Ume. Done with your shift, princess?"

"That's going to become a new thing with us, isn't it?" I asked, remembering the the stuff on his face. Holding out my dishcloth I always carried on my arm, I quipped, "You've got a little something. Like everywhere." He just then seemed to notice and blushed.

"Sorry," he murmured, wiping it all off, staring at me the whole time. I got hot and uncomfortable, so much that when he handed my cloth back, I nervously said, "Have I got a bunch of blood and salt water on my face too?"

He looked a bit surprised. "No, you look beautiful. That's probably why I can't stop staring at you."

"Shut up, you're going to permanently redden my face," I said, hitting him with the dishcloth. "Now, how about our original plan?"

"That would be absolutely lovely," Tamaki replied. I smiled and ran off to the kitchen, putting away my apron and grabbing a plate of Western food I'd set out. When I came back, he was sitting up just as straight, but his fingers were tapping shakily on the table. This was the Tamaki I knew (and loved). He motioned for me to sit next to him, so I put the food down and slid into the booth.

I slid a little too far over and lost my balance. Tamaki quickly caught me, pulling me into him. I blushed when I realized he'd pulled me into his lap. He noticed after I did (as he did with most things), but snaked his arms around my waist, capturing me.

"See," he said, "all your shields go down when you're with me. All your jokes and masks, princess."

"Did any of my signs tell you that I don't deserve to love a boy like you?" I whispered, half hoping he wouldn't hear me.

"You love me?" he asked in surprise, his violet eyes searching mine for an answer. And my hope is dead.

I steeled myself for what I couldn't help telling him. "I am so much in love with you that it's crazy, sweetheart."

"You have no idea where, but you've called me that before." Tamaki shook his head and didn't speak for a while.

"Tamaki?" I asked.

"Yes, Umehito?" His eyes drifted from me.

"Please say something back. Please please say something back." I prayed he wouldn't hear my desperation in those statements.

Tamaki brought my ear so close that I could feel his nose tickle the skin there. After a long intake of breath, he said in a enunciated set of words, "I've never been more in love in my entire life, Umehito. Don't ever think you aren't important to me."

I started to cry, just a little. No, it was much more than a little, it was 5-liter bucketfuls. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his chest. Tamaki cradled me and held me, never letting me go. "I would have waited eternally for you," I said, muffled by his clothes.

"I wouldn't have been able to wait," he answered.

So, our date didn't exactly go as planned, but I seriously did not care.

* * *

**Because Nekozawa's character isn't really discussed, I hope I did a decent job with him. I might publish an extra middle chapter about the couples; let me know what you think about that. Love to all that read this, and I hope (if this even applies to you) that you're having a great Christmas break!**


	7. Dreams and Daydreams

**I never initially meant to write this chapter, but I thought, why the hell not? So here's Dreams and Daydreams, and I hope y'all will enjoy.**

* * *

Haruhi POV

Study hall wasn't supposed to be an interesting part of the school day. At all. You were supposed to do all your schoolwork and study for tomorrow's work, but of course, when it came to Tama, there was no such thing as 'studying'. I loved him to pieces, but the boy could honestly pick up some sort of activity instead of chatting.

After completing everything that I needed to get done, I found myself staring out the window. The grounds were kind of far below, but that didn't stop me from imagining what they would look like in spring, with the sakura trees in bloom. If Kyoya was there with me, he'd probably say something about the long history of the blooms in Japanese culture, and I would listen as best I could, because I needed to when he spoke.

"So, when are they likely to disappear?" I asked.

"In a week or so. But never fear, the blossoms will be left on the ground for at least a little while." His black notebook was dangling from one hand, a pen clipped onto his back pocket. Kyo looked good in jeans and a t-shirt, but I would never tell him that. His glasses were at the very tip of his nose, and I pushed them back with one finger. Kyo looked surprised that I'd touched him, but then gave a devilish smile and shook his head, causing his glasses to go back. I glared at him, and his smile became more mischievous.

Kyoya carefully removed his glasses, placing them on the ground near the roots of the largest tree. "Now they won't bother you so much, Haruhi. They won't get in our way either."

"Get in the way of what?" I asked cautiously. Kyo slid a hand into my hair and brought my lips to his. This kiss was exceptionally sweet, unlike our last one. He broke away after a few seconds, a blush starting to form on his cheeks. One was probably forming on mine too.

"Sorry," he said. "I've stolen too many kisses."

"You know I don't mind, right?"

He looked me in the eye, cautiously trying to confirm my statement. "So, you don't care that I kiss you?"

"Nope." I really didn't. I found myself liking him more and more as the days passed, and I didn't want anything to happen to the bit of friendship he'd gained with the boys and I. Kyo deserved for someone to care about him, and if he needed someone to project feelings of love onto, I was happy it was me. I was pretty sure he didn't feel anything real for me anyway, so why would it matter?

"Well, I'm still sorry." His eyes looked so sad and dejected. "I'm going inside now."

As he started to walk away, I couldn't help myself from shouting behind him. "Please don't go!" He turned around, but didn't come back. "Please stay here," I said quietly. "I like you and I don't want you to ever leave." His quizzical gaze sent me over to him in annoyance. "Goddammit, why can you not see this? I don't care if you kiss me, because there is no one else I want to kiss but you! Stupid rich boys aren't supposed to worm their way into commoner hearts, life doesn't work that way, but you somehow did the impossible and if you walk away, I will..." Kyoya stopped me with a light kiss.

"I didn't think you felt the same way is all." He hugged me close.

"Haru-chan, why are you staring out the window? There's just snow out there," a voice said. I whipped around to face Tamaki.

"You should be working instead of watching me," I snapped. Tama went into his corner. I wasn't sure whether to hit him or hug him for breaking my Kyo-filled trance.

* * *

Nekozawa POV

At 11:00 at night, I finally fell asleep. A nonspecific time passed with no dreams, but when they finally found me, I wanted to laugh.

Tamaki was seated in a café, nursing a large, sugared and creamed coffee. He seemed cheerful as always, but strangely impatient. I stayed where I was for a moment, just watching him think, but eventually he spotted me. "Ume! I didn't know you'd arrived! Come sit with me!"

I sat, but felt a bit awkward without a drink in my hands. Tamaki asked, "So how's your weekend been?"

"The restaurant hasn't been as busy, so I get a bit more free time to spend with friends." A fairly generic response, but Tamaki looked really excited. What on Earth was there to be excited about? Certainly not me.

"I'm a friend?" he asked. I nodded. When I saw him about to get up and jump for joy, I placed my hand on his to keep him from doing it. Tamaki gave a wide-eyed look, but then laced his fingers through mine. I liked the feeling of his hand in mine, and the heat he was transferring onto my normally freezing skin.

"Hey, do you want some of this?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure," I answered, grabbing his coffee with my free hand. After taking a sip, I realized the amount of his scent on the cup. "Did you drink a bit before I did?"

"Um," Tamaki said. "Fine, yes I did, please don't be mad."

"It is impossible for me to be mad at you, sweetheart," I mumbled. He looked like he heard. I quickly arranged my expression into my usual calm visage. I had never been indirectly kissed, and wasn't exactly sure how to react.

"You called me sweetheart?" Tamaki was clasping my hand as if it held all the answers. "I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything, this isn't..." I paused, unsure what to say. "It's alright if you don't feel comfortable with this."

"No, no." He had tears in his eyes. "I just don't want to get this _wrong_. I don't want to hurt you."

I laughed bitterly. "That's the first time I've ever heard that." We sat there in silence for a few minutes, me taking sips of Tamaki's coffee periodically. When my phone rang with a text from my aunt telling me to come back to the restaurant, I stood up and made for the door, not remembering I still held Tamaki's hand. He followed me outside, and when I reached my car, he wrapped his arms around my neck and hugged me. His fingers played with the hair at the nape of my neck, but let go after a while.

"I'll be thinking about you," he said, standing on his tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek.

I woke up at 5:26 with the feeling of his lips grazing my skin.

* * *

Kyoya POV

I typed for several minutes without stopping, ignoring Tamaki and Haruhi's protests, as it was lunchtime, and they believed I should eat. Now, I thought this was ridiculous; I had gotten plenty of food two days ago. Yoshikawa wasn't any closer to being hacked, unfortunately. My family stayed bankrupt unless I kept going, so I kept at it.

Lunch was almost over when I felt a hard surface meet my face, throwing me into a strange world. In it, all the students were frozen except me, and one other person. Haruhi stood up, waving a hand in front of Tamaki and the twins' faces. I smiled. "I think it's just the two of us."

She looked around for the source of the voice, and finding me, Haruhi grabbed my hand. "What should we do?" she asked, a troublemaking look in her eyes.

"I don't really know about pranks," I answered truthfully.

Haruhi thought for a moment. "I'm not thinking of anything good. But I really want something to make me laugh. Or something fun."

"How about Truth or Dare?" Normally, I would never have said that, but it was just Haruhi.

"That is a marvelous idea. Let's do it in the classroom so when everyone wakes up, it can be private." I stared at her for a second in slight awe, but snapped myself out of it, pulling Haruhi along to Room 2A.

"Alright, first question is to you, Kyoya," she said once we reached the classroom. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," I replied, thinking there wasn't anything terrible she could make me do.

"Tell me a secret you've never told anyone."

I let out a long breath. "Promise to not tell people."

"I won't. Scout's honor," she said, switching to English and putting a three-fingered hand up.

"Come closer, so I can whisper it." I heard the nervousness in my voice, and tried to stifle it. Haruhi did what I asked, leaning her small figure on me as she brought her ear close to my lips. "I am in love with you, Haruhi," I said, in the barest whisper of a tone.

Suddenly, I felt time start again. The snow outside began blowing around, and noise echoed through the empty hallways as students finished lunch. I gazed at Haruhi for a moment, asking, "Do you want to say anything?"

She looked at me blankly. "How did we get into the classroom? You still haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on, let's go."

I scrambled to my feet and asked, "Do you remember what happened?"

"What possibly could have happened, Kyoya? This is a school." I banged my head against the doorframe as we left the room. My first confession had gotten completely ignored.

I opened my eyes to an empty cafeteria. Lunch had ended, and no one was around me but...Haruhi. "Hey, you should stop falling asleep in bad places. It worries me." I sat up and gathered my things, following Haruhi out the double doors. I didn't know whether I wanted my confession to be real or not, But I knew one thing. I so badly wanted her to hear it.

* * *

All POV

"What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

**So, chapter I didn't prewrite. You can probably tell. I didn't put in a Tamaki POV because he has his own little fantasy. I would like to thank everyone for your reviews, they make my crazy recluse mind very happy! Sorry, the next chapter is going suupppeerrr slow, so I might not update for a little while. Adios!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, I am a terrible person for not writing at all lately. :( May the gods of fanfiction strike me down in my sleep. Sorry sorry. To partially make up for it before my next chapter that would physically exhaust me to write coming later, I have this chapter. Please enjoy! I will try to not be such a slacker!**

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Chapter 7

Kyoya POV

I saw her smirking from the corner she controlled the club's money from. She enjoyed taunting me, so I knew I wouldn't get anything out of her until club hours were over. I sighed, inciting excitement from the girls on the couch in front of me. Her impatience seemed to be rubbing off on me, unfortunately. I had hoped to avoid that.

Tamaki had made a little nest on my left, claiming that part of the couch as his. We had become closer as friends, and soon the girls that frequented the club designated us the kings of the Host Club. Tamaki was quite excited about our newfound success, saying it couldn't have happened without me, but I knew it was all him. He treated everyone like royalty, knowing they deserved it. Yet, I could tell as the weeks went by that something had changed in his head. It was a good thing, most likely a love-related thing. I just hoped it wouldn't backfire.

Host Club ended after a couple of hours, the twins, Hani and Mori, and Tamaki leaving to go do whatever they did after 4:30. Haruhi started cleaning up, and I went to her in three strides. I caught her hand in mine and wound her hair around my fingers. "Hello," she said, not bothering to return to her previous state of activity.

"Hi," I murmured, my eyes on her eyes that I loved staring into. "Did you have anything to say to me earlier?"

Haruhi laughed. "Only that you'd probably be more comfortable doing my job. I think I'd make an exceptional host."

"Should we test that sometime?" I asked. "Switching places for a day might interest both genders, generating more profit for us."

Haruhi's face fell. "You need to stop being in work mode all the time. There are little shadows under your eyes again," she said, running a finger gently over them. "I don't want you to get sick anymore."

I leaned into her touch. My glasses were a bit smudged from her fingers, but I for once did not care. I pulled her hand down to lightly kiss her palm. "You aren't my work mode, Haruhi. You never have been," I whispered into her skin.

We sat together for a little while, not talking or kissing, just the smallest part of us touching. It was so comforting, being near her. I would have stayed there forever. "Kyoya?" she asked. "I probably should clean now."

I broke away, hoping my disappointment wasn't plain on my face. "Yeah, I'll leave you to that." There was a slightly awkward pause. "Goodbye. See you tomorrow, Haruhi."

I walked out the door, making sure to grab my backpack and laptop. She didn't say anything else to me; it made me have irrational thoughts about running back to her. I stopped walking and restarted several times, trying to leave the building. Eventually, I couldn't handle it anymore and headed back to Music Room Three.

Not four meters from the door, someone came up behind me and covered my mouth. I tried to turn around and face my attacker, but they had me in too good of a hold. That pissed me off! No one should have been able to subdue an Otori! I fought much harder, just to see who was behind me. "Kuze?!" I shouted, but his hand muffled the sound.

"Yeah bastard! I know what kind of scum exists at this school now, _Otori. _I don't think anyone would mind if you disappeared for a while. Nope, I don't think so." He quickly jerked me through a door, shoving me against some cleaning supplies. I stood up, but the door had already shut. I banged my hands on it as Kuze and his two minions, laughing their heads off, left me there. It was definitely a new low for me.

I yelled, "Can someone help me in here?" hoping that a teacher or Haruhi would hear me and get me out. Nobody needed to know why it was so imperative. Running footsteps echoed toward me, abruptly cut short.

"Kyoya? Is that you?" Thank god, it was Haruhi.

"Yes it's me. I'm locked in this closet. If you can get in and help me, I would be eternally grateful." I hated the wavering in my voice.

"You're not okay, are you?" I heard a thump as her forehead leaned against the door.

"I am exceptionally not okay right now. Please get me out."

Haruhi fiddled with the doorknob, eventually turning it and opening the door, I inwardly cheered, because I would never outwardly. I hadn't been so happy to see a face in my entire life. Wrapping my arms around her, I held her impossibly close. "Thank you for coming for me."

"I want you far away from Kuze and his friends from now on," Haruhi said angrily. "I mean it, rich boy."

"Who's the mom of the Host Club now?" I breathed, not meaning it at all.

Neither of us noticed the door slowly closing behind her. "Let's get out of here, Kyo." She grabbed my hand and made to leave, and the door clicked shut, throwing us into darkness broken only by the tiny window's light in the corner of the closet.

"Oh my god. It locked, didn't it?"

"Probably," she answered. I let go of her and looked around, but we couldn't see really anything. My hands reached out, but all I could feel were walls. Walls that seemed to get closer and closer to each other, with me being their obstacle. I felt for Haruhi, and when I found her, I hugged her tightly.

"Don't let go for a while. You might help this." Memories popped up of those horrible days seven years ago: the dark, the enclosed space, the shouts interspersed with complete silence, the loneliness. Before I knew it, I was shaking violently, shivering as if from the cold.

"Kyo, you should sit down." I did so. "Put your head between your knees and take deep breaths," Haruhi said calmly, as if she saw things like this every day.

"How do you know this stuff?" I asked, ever the skeptic.

"I was a nurse's aid in middle school. I know claustrophobia when I see it, Kyoya," she said, making it seem like the most natural thing in the world.

"Fear of small spaces. It's such a little thing, you know," I said after a lot of deep breaths and a couple of head pats. So embarrassing.

"Fear isn't little, Kyo. You can't put big things like that into small boxes for you to analyze and interpret, you just have to stare at it head on and face it. Because fear is one of those really big feelings, you deal with it a bit at a time. As it's bad to make mountains out of molehills, it is equally bad to do what you manage to do: make molehills out of mountains," Haruhi told me, with not a single hitch or stutter in her voice.

I looked up to where I thought her voice was coming from. "I wonder if I've broken my habit when it comes to us," I muttered bitterly.

Haruhi didn't seem to hear me, but carefully knelt on my left, moving a few brooms. "You need to accept that you can't control everything. Sometimes you just have to throw yourself into things without any thought and try not to get swept away."

Against my better judgment, I wrapped my arms around her waist, making us crash awkwardly together. Softly, I kissed her as she slid a hand into my hair. Exhaustion took me over suddenly, exhaustion from fear and lack of sleep and Haruhi's scent, which lulled me away from the closet and into the world of dreams.

* * *

Haruhi POV

Kyo stayed asleep for about four hours, holding me like a lifeline. I'd removed his glasses while he slept so he wouldn't accidentally crush them. "Here we are again," I whispered. "You're asleep, and I'm awake, and we're together." He didn't stir, but I didn't expect him to.

I had heard what he'd said about us. Kyo wasn't making mountains out of molehills, I did love him. I just would never admit it. Love was such a volatile thing that if he didn't feel the same way, I would be entirely crushed, and my feelings would turn on me. Neither of us deserved that, so I let it lie. The twins would probably accuse me of being a selfish bitch, but I was alright with that as long as I could stay next to him.

At 8 something, Kyo woke up. His eyes had lost their frightened, trapped gaze, and instead looked at me with warm, happy eyes. I resisted the urge to plant a tiny kiss on his nose. "Hello. Am I still dreaming?"

"No, Kyoya. We're still in a closet," I answered. "Are you feeling better with the claustrophobia?" I asked professionally.

He stayed quiet for a moment. "Do you know why I have that fear?" I shook my head. "When I was ten years old, men came to the house while my brothers and father were gone. My sister was in a far part of the house and didn't hear them take me. The ransom was tens of millions of yen; while waiting for it, I was locked in a tiny, windowless cell.

"I was there for hours and hours, Haruhi. I was left with my own scared thoughts. More than the fear the walls were going to close in was the fear no one was going to come for me.

"When my father finally paid the ransom, I had been in there for three days. There's my claustrophobia and my aversion to my parents in one tragic story."

Kyo fell silent, but there was a shine on his eyes that caused me to reach down and lightly kiss him on the forehead. "You have the boys and Tamaki and I. We'll never leave you like that."

His lips quirked up in a small smile. "Why does Tamaki not count as one of the boys?"

"He's your best friend. He deserves his own category." I held him close until he'd completely calmed down again, stroking his head of black hair. Suddenly, I heard a rumbling sound. I prayed it was a truck on the street. "Did the forecast say something about a storm tonight?" I asked Kyo quietly.

"Yes, why?" A crash of thunder rang through the small space. I yelped, burying my head in his shoulder. My body tensed as the thunder sounded again. Tears ran down my face, but I tried so hard to hold them in. "Darling, are you afraid of thunder?" he asked, running a hand over my back.

"This is my exceptionally not okay," I replied, repeating his previous statement. "Thunder's always frightened me, but because Dad has his job late at night, I rode them out by myself, so that made it worse."

"Well, that will never happen again. I'll be here whenever you need me." He sighed. "Even if you don't need me."

_Oh dear mother in heaven, can you see me? I love him, and he gets the crazy idea that I don't need him. Why did I fall for an absolute baka?_

I looked up at his face. Barely noticing the wetness on his shirt, I wondered how stupid I would have to be to think I could live without needing him. I kissed Kyo on the very corner of his mouth. In response, he kissed me full on, sweetly, as if it was our first kiss. "I'll always need you," I said.

Kyoya positioned me so I was sitting between his knees. He pulled me tight to him and kissed my neck with barely a brush of his lips. His hands lightly traced my neck, and then moved to cover my ears. He rested his head on top of mine and I felt him sigh contentedly. The storm lasted much longer than I did: I fell asleep in Kyo's arms after a half hour.

* * *

Kyoya POV

I felt her begin to fade as the thunder began to settle down. Haruhi's eyes drooped, and her breathing slowed to a measured pace. As she fell asleep, I worked up something I'd wanted to say to her since the day I first kissed her.

I moved one of my hands from her cute little ears and brought my lips to the skin there. I knew she might not hear me, and I knew she might only like me as a friend, but I had to say it before my heart burst with the effort of keeping it in. "I love you, Haruhi Fujioka. I'll love you no matter how much you hurt me. I will never leave you."

She barely stirred, but smiled tranquilly and mumbled, "Kyo?" My name from her mouth made my head feel fuzzy. This is what love feels like, I thought to myself as my consciousness waned into dreams.

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**And Kyo admits his feelings. I'll probably not update for a little while, because I have some writer's block for this particular story. Don't worry: I am publishing a oneshot very soon. See you all later! **


	9. Chapter 9

**This is my writer's block update. Tell me if it sucks terribly. It's kind of supposed to be my little bit of darkness, but whatever. Enjoy! Reviews are always welcome.**

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Hani POV

Takashi and I get to school around an hour before it started, as we usually did. The snow had barely been disturbed by the lightning storm last night, but we were all afraid Haruhi had. She hadn't answered her cellphone, and the storm wasn't forecasted, so she had been caught by surprise.

We headed to Music Room Three, wondering if she'd holed herself up in one of the dressing rooms. When Takashi opened the door, I noticed how messy the room was. Haru-chan almost always volunteered to clean up, so she hadn't been there long before something distracted her.

"Taka, I'm so worried about her," I said, hugging myself.

"I know," he replied softly. After a minute, he continued, "We could clean in here. It would give us something to do."

"Alright. It was driving me crazy anyway," I said. We walked across the hall (read: hell) to the janitor's closet to try and find a vacuum cleaner. Takashi fiddled with the knob of the door for a while, eventually allowing it to click open. I was about to remark on how this was the only door in the school that behaved like that when I saw the presences in the closet. Kyo and Haru-chan sat entwined on the floor, both sets of eyes closed in sleep. Haru looked so peaceful; I was surprised she'd fallen asleep at all. Kyo held her carefully but lovingly, arms paused in the middle of stroking her back.

"They really are in love, aren't they?" I asked Takashi in a whisper.

"Yes, Mitsukune, I believe they are." I gave him a small smile, and then as quietly and slowly as I could, I got out the vacuum.

We entered the room again and started to clean, Takashi the couches and tables, and I the floors. Together, we finished in about twenty minutes. Afterward, Takashi and I curled up on the couch where Tama-chan normally sat. His hands were really big as they stroked my head. "I'm glad I have someone like you," he said simply.

"Someone like me?" I asked, looking up at him.

"You sustain me. I'll never be unhappy or lonely again, Mitsukune. You sustain my mind and my emotions, and you being near me comforts me like nothing else."

I felt my gaze grow very sad. "Takashi, you can see other people now. Just because you're worried about me and want to help me through everything doesn't mean we have to be attached at the hip. You need to branch out. I can't be the only thing sustaining you. It is not healthy to seclude yourself with just my company. I'm worried about you, Taka."

"I don't just have you. I have the twins and Tamaki and Haruhi." Takashi had a strange look on his face.

"But I'm the only one you really speak to!" My palms cupped his shoulders, my face turned up to his.

"Mitsukune, what are you saying?" he asked. His eyes burned with something desperate. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was frightening. I'd never seen him like this.

"We need to find others to be with. Like with the twins, we can't just rely on each other forever."

He didn't speak for several seconds, but then asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, Takashi, no. You've done nothing wrong," I reassured.

"Are you breaking up with me?" fell out of his mouth.

I said a bit too quickly, "Yes, if that will help you."

Takashi stood up slowly, like an old man with a failing back, pushing me off of his lap. Carefully, he leaned down to press a feather-light kiss on my cheek. "It starts now," he said, voice fading a little. "I'll take your advice."

Taka left Music Room Three with an almost silent step. I watched as he went, trying to recognize some sign he was alright, but he was far too good at hiding things from me. I heard him open the closet to put the vacuum and wake up Haru-chan. We'd established two weeks ago that it was incredibly bad to wake up Kyo-chan. I wondered if he had AB blood, like me.

I walked out of the clubroom before Takashi could come back in. Was I afraid of something? I truly had no idea.

* * *

Mori POV

"Can you carry him into the clubroom?" Haruhi whispered. "I don't want to wake him up." Her voice brimmed with tenderness as she ran her fingers over his face.

"Hm," I replied, carefully entangling Kyoya from her. He sighed sadly, still asleep, as if being separated from her pained him. I knew how that felt all too well. Haruhi watched him as a child watches their idol, and I felt a part of my heart break from observing them.

When we reached Music Room Three, I noticed that Mitsukune had vacated it. I wasn't sure how to interpret that. If he really had been nonchalant with us not dating, just being friends, he would have spoken with and seen me without any thought. The fact that Mitsukune wasn't there made me feel like he was serious.

Did I push him too far? Did I stupidly hurt him without knowing it? _Did I do something wrong? _

* * *

Haruhi POV

I gazed up at Mori's face. There was close to two decimeters of height difference between us, yet I could see a damning, crazy sadness in his eyes. What had happened to make Mori-senpai look like that?

I thanked him for carrying Kyoya, but he just nodded. Normally, he didn't speak much. but he would have at least given me a "You're welcome". Mori left me to wait for Kyo to wake up, an almost limp in his step. I didn't know what was going on, but for anybody, him especially, to display these signs was evident of something messed up. Next thing I knew, he'd probably collapse on the ground from dizziness or a broken bone.

I heard a thump outside the clubroom: a rather loud, big-person-falling-hard thump. A crack resounded through the mostly empty school. "You have got to be kidding me," I muttered, kissing Kyoya on the forehead and rushing to the hallway.

Mori didn't look like he'd ended up on the ground from a broken bone or dizziness. In his hands was clenched a yellow Post-it note. I covered my mouth to keep from screaming, but no sound was coming out anyway. "Tell Mitsukune I'm sorry," he murmured before his eyes slipped shut.

* * *

Hani POV

I found myself looking for Takashi many times during the school day. As I sat in the very front of Room 3A, I had to look behind me to try and find him. But he seemed to have disappeared into thin air. No one knew where Takashi went; they all expected us to be together. It stung a little, being away from him.

At lunch, I exited the classroom quickly to go find Haru and ask where Takashi was. In fact, I ran into her on my way to Room 2A. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her normally calm composure was completely ruptured. "Hani-senpai, where have you been? We've been looking for you all day."

"What happened? What's wrong?" I felt a foreboding shadow come over me. It had everything to do with Takashi.

Haru-chan stared at me in surprise. "Mori slipped outside the clubroom and cracked his head really hard. Like blood all over head injury. He's in one of Kyo's hospitals right now, and they don't know what's wrong, but it looks like brain trauma. And," she could barely get the sentence out, "he hasn't woken up."

I put my head in my hands, attempting to keep my tears from coming out, but I failed entirely. "Senpai? He left something for you." On her fingers was a yellow sticky note. It read: _Good luck on your finals! I'll always be here for you. _I recognized it; I'd given it to him several months ago. And he still had it. He loved me more than I thought.

* * *

Kyoya POV

Haruhi came into the waiting room after lunch, Hani following along behind her. Both looked awful, but Hani seemed a bit murderous. She wrapped her arms around me in a hug, her long hair whooshing over my shoulders. "Thank you for taking Mori. It means so much."

"I would do anything to ease your mind. Anything. Even if it's going to a barely-funded hospital that my brother works at." She had a small smile on her face. Haruhi lightly kissed my collarbone and nestled her head in the crook of my neck. I stood there, holding her, until the twins ambushed her. She managed to keep us all together; it was one of the reasons I fell for her.

Hani was pacing back and forth with a vengeance, holding a Post-it note in his hands and muttering under his breath. No one could get close to him, not even Tamaki with his gentle voice. He appeared to be very angry, but I knew how he was really feeling, because I'd used anger to cover up ugly emotions many times. Hani was devastated, utterly devastated. He loved Mori the most out of all of us, and it was hitting him terribly hard. The door to Mori's room still hadn't opened yet.

Hours passed, it felt like, and I didn't bother to check my watch. Hikaru and Kaoru were curled up on one of the couches, sleeping. They had a habit of doing that, and it seemed more likely in a situation like this. Tamaki kept looking around, as if waiting for someone to show up. Hani hadn't stopped his constant pacing. Back and forth and back and forth and back. Haruhi and I were wide awake, perched on a chair, our legs forming a plus sign, Haruhi sitting on my lap. Her arms were curled around my neck, mine were embracing her waist. My eyes were closed, but my fast heartbeat let me know I was still awake. "We'll be okay," she whispered. I hoped so.

* * *

Hani POV

Everyone but Tama had fallen asleep, and I had stopped pacing for a bit. My forehead was in direct contact with the closed door that was Takashi's hospital room. I breathed against it, "I'll never leave you again. I will always be beside you." But he couldn't hear me.

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**That's my partially un-prewritten chapter. I hope it was worth reading. Sorry about the wait. It was Tennosuke's idea to do the hall/hell thing, but I ignored them the first time they edited. Here you go, Ten! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh, that last chapter though. Oddly enough, I didn't feel really awful after writing it. Maybe because I am one of those authors that makes everything get better. And it will! I promise! Here's some twins for you; they have gotten so little attention. Sorry my dears!**

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Kaoru POV

Hika and I woke to absolute silence in the hospital waiting room. Kyoya and Haruhi were sleeping in a chair, totally hands all over kind of stuff. I thought they would like one another, especially since they hated each other when they first met. Hani-senpai had collapsed in front of Mori-senpai's door, slumped and broken-looking. Tamaki, strangely enough, was still awake. I was really surprised, because he was usually the kind to sleep during a crisis. I put my finger to my lips when Hika stared at me funny. I wanted to watch Tamaki.

He tapped his fingers nervously against his knee, the other hand covering what looked like a bracelet on his wrist. Hika and I knew the boss had been keeping his out-of-school life on the down low, but I'd never seen that bracelet before. It was a simple cord, but with a pretty piano key charm. Whoever made it or found it knew Tamaki well, and probably liked him. He probably liked the person back.

A few silent minutes passed, and soon the door to the hospital opened. Someone carrying flowers and a little package obscuring their face stumbled in, wearing an apron and printed t-shirt. Tamaki instantly brightened, taking the flowers and revealing the visitor's face. He, actually a he, had platinum blonde hair and pale skin, and very dark eyes. I didn't know who he was, but he seemed familiar.

"Thank you so much for coming, princess," Tamaki said, keeping quiet, trying not to wake us.

"You know you're the only one I let call me that," the visitor answered.

Tamaki smiled, and it made me almost have to close my eyes from the amount of watts. "Good. I don't want anyone else to have you, Umehito." The newly named Umehito blushed and glared at Tamaki. Total tsun tsun, that one. I could tell.

"I brought Mori-san flowers, and I got you something, because I know you feel really bad."

Tamaki's mouth fell open. "You didn't have to do that."

"So what if I want to buy my boyfriend presents? It isn't a crime." Umehito handed Tamaki the package, and I noticed a red bow on top of it. Holy wow, they were definitely into each other. I didn't know boss was gay. Hm. I should pay more attention.

Tamaki carefully unwrapped the box, first taking off the bow and placing it reverently on Umehito's head, like a priest crowning a new king. Umehito blushed deeper, clearly trying not to. When Tamaki opened the box, he put a hand over his mouth. "You got me amusement park tickets?"

"Yeah. We've only had a couple dates, and you like aquariums and seem like the type to squeal and hold on to me going through a haunted house," at this he smirked, "so I thought they'd be perfect. Do you like it?" he asked, now a little anxious.

"You gave me hours with you. It's more than I could ask for," Tamaki replied. Apparently, boss was a huge romantic in real life, not just at the host club. His boyfriend smiled and kissed him. It was a small kiss, but one that made it look like they loved each other.

The two of them curled up on the couch Tamaki had taken possession of and held one another. Now I knew why boss kept looking toward the door. He was waiting for Umehito to come and comfort him. Love is pretty selfish, and you don't realize it until you see it. For a moment, he just thought about seeing his boyfriend, not about Mori-senpai, or Hani-senpai, or Haru-nee, just about him and Umehito. But everyone could have their minutes of selfishness.

I looked over at Hika as the two of them settled down and fell asleep. The look I gave him said "Stay quiet."

He breathed, "Should we keep this a secret?"

"Of course," I huffed. "Boss deserves to keep this to himself, and tell people when he's ready."

"When did you become the wise one?" Hika laughed quietly.

"I've always been the wise one."

* * *

Mori POV

I felt an enormous pain in my head. Red flashed across my vision several times, but I couldn't stop it. I hated feeling so helpless. _Mitsukune, can you hear me? I love you._

When someone made everything go black, the lights didn't come back on for a long time. I thought I heard whispering, but maybe the dreams were too thick for me to really know. Seeing the dreams came much later, just a repeating track of Mitsukune telling me he wanted to separate. I tasted the blood as my heart ripped in my chest. _Save me, please. _

"He's waking up!" someone professional-sounding said. Suddenly, everything was bright and moving, and I just wanted to go back to the warm darkness. Life wasn't kind to me, but sleep would always catch me if I fell.

"Morinozuka-san, you're in the hospital. You hit your head very hard, and all your friends are outside this room waiting to see you." It sounded like a nurse, young and female. I wanted to ask, _Which friends? There's exactly one person I need to see right now, and if he isn't here, I don't ever want to wake up. _

I nodded to wherever the voice was coming from, and heard a door open. Well, it sort of opened before running into something heavy and virtually immobile. "What the hell? Let a man sleep, will you!" an angry, just-woke-up voice said. Like Mitsukune, or Kyoya.

"Morinozuka-san is awake, if you all want to come see him." The person tripped over their feet getting through the door, while many other pairs of footsteps followed behind them. Seven people entered my room, and I recognized them a second after I saw them. The entire host club and Nekozawa from my class had all gathered at the foot of my bed.

"Are you feeling alright?" Tamaki asked, one hand wrapped around the other wrist. It had become a nervous gesture.

"Give him space," Haruhi scolded. "I was so damn worried about you, senpai. Please be more careful in the future."

"We hope you're okay now," the twin chimed in. Nekozawa didn't say anything, just gave me a look that conveyed what he meant to say. He didn't speak a lot to most people, Nekozawa was usually quiet in class, so that was expected. I was unused to people worrying about me. I wasn't sure I liked the idea of everyone worrying.

I opened my mouth to answer them, but found that no matter how hard I tried, my vocal cords wouldn't move. I tried repeatedly, humming, singing, talking loud, talking softly, but nothing came out. Nothing. If I could laugh, I would have.

Haruhi had a feeling about what was going on, because she asked the nurse where I'd hit my head. "Morinozuka-san thankfully didn't hit the base of his skull or the very front, but he did hit the left front side of his head to the point of a concussion or true brain damage."

She swore softly, saying to me, "That's the area that controls producing language." Kyoya stared at her in surprise, and she glared at him, saying, "I skipped a grade and like biology. Just because you're a doctor's son doesn't mean you know everything. Anyway, Mori-senpai can't speak until some of the damage is repaired."

A bitter laugh came from the corner of the room, hidden behind everyone else. "You speak to few in the first place, and then speech is taken away from you. Who's screwing with the chessboard?"

"I think you two need a moment," Haruhi said, ushering my friends out of the room. When the door closed again, she revealed Mitsukune, with dark shadows under his eyes, and a hunch in his shoulders, his blonde hair messy and fire burning in his expression. He was afraid and angry and exhausted and sad, and I held my arms out.

Mitsukune fell into them and began to cry. I kissed him on the forehead many times, running my fingers through his hair and over his spine. He eventually climbed into the cot with me, whispering, "I'm so sorry," over and over, as if he was scared I couldn't hear him. I couldn't answer him, but I kissed him so much to tell him I loved him and that I forgave him and I knew he just wanted to help me, and mostly that I loved him.

He held onto me for hours; the nurses didn't enter the room, probably because Haruhi warned them out. I laced my fingers with his, and wound my legs through his. We were together, and I was convinced nothing could hurt us.

* * *

Hikaru POV

And this was where all the bachelors end up at the end of a scene: hanging out in a hospital waiting room, alone but for their sleeping twin brothers. This was me, without a girlfriend like Kyoya and without a boyfriend like Mori-senpai and the boss. What kind of shitty luck did I have?

When the boredom got to be too much, I walked up to the front desk, noticing a moderately pretty girl sitting there. "Hello, lovely. Can you and I entertain one another for a moment?" I asked, my elbow leaning on the desk.

She grinned at me, but replied, "Who the hell do you think I am? I have to do a job here, you know."

I gaped at her. "Okay, I'm going to ignore that for a minute. Can I at least know your name if you're insulting me?"

"I wasn't insulting you. I was stating a fact. And my name is Zoe." She had boyishly cut brown hair, and blue eyes. Zoe was obviously foreign, maybe American.

"What would you be doing in an Otori hospital when you're underage for a medical job?"

Zoe smirked. "I'm precocious. And what is a high school boy doing in a pretty damn expensive hospital?"

"One of my friends and senpais got hurt, so," I looked over at the rest of the club, "I'm here for him."

Her expression softened a little, but barely. "You brought your entourage with you, I see?"

"More like they brought me." I was sure my expression softened a little more than I wanted it to.

Zoe grinned, and it was kind of quirky and cute. Hell if I knew why I thought this girl I'd never seen in my life was _cute_ of all things. "I wouldn't mind a distraction right about now. Tell me a story, and maybe we can hang out when I'm not in the middle of working a life-saving job."

I took a deep breath. "My twin brother and I have always been together, and we always depended on each other. One day, this weird blonde guy comes up to us and asks to be our friend. We told him he had to tell us apart first.

"That bastard," I said with a laugh, "would not freaking give up on telling us apart. He followed us for months, trying to find distinctions and differences. And we realized that we were never going to find another person as weird and interesting as him, so we let him in. He came with people, of course. Tamaki had a sister, or so we thought, and a couple of senpais that dated. Kaoru and I are very happy to have them."

"See, you aren't that bad at stories." Zoe had a small smile on her face. "Tell me another one."

Maybe the bachelors have something the couples don't: the cute girl across the counter with the short hair.

* * *

**I borrowed my bestie's name. Forgive me! And I'm finishing this in a hotel two hours from home, so that's how much I love you all. Also not prewritten, so... forgive me for that too. Hearts to y'all! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi y'all. So, I might stop prewriting stuff. It takes a hell of a lot of time that I don't have. Please forgive me! For your information, it makes my day when you comment or favorite or follow! So please keep making my day! Chapter 11, everybody. **

* * *

Kyoya POV

Snow, covering the ground in a pristine white blanket, had fallen outside. Tokyo had a silent, unreadable quality about it in this state. I felt like I had forgotten something, as if the white had washed it away.

"Kyo? Are you okay?" a voice asked.

I gazed at the source of the voice. Haruhi was curled up on my lap, her brown hair sprawled over my shoulders. "I'm fine. How about you?"

She gave me a little smile. "You're really warm, you know that?"

I blushed, but tried to shove it back down. "No. No one's ever said that to me."

"They should," she finished, nestling back into me. I got the feeling she was far more tired than she let on.

"Is anything important happening today?" Haruhi asked blearily. I shook my head, but before I could fully answer, I realized something that was moderately important to some people.

"It's my birthday," I said. "Actually, I'll turn seventeen in six hours."

Haruhi abruptly sat up. "It is your birthday, and you didn't bother to tell me, or any other club members?"

"Sorry," I mumbled.

She smacked my arm. "What the hell, Otori?! We need to throw you a birthday party. I'll enlist Tama and we'll make it the best poor-people party ever!"

I kissed her cheek softly. "Any party you throw me will make me happy, even if it's a cupcake with a candle in it."

Haruhi grabbed my hand when she stood up. "Come on, Kyo. Let's inform everyone."

* * *

"Why are there girls everywhere?" I asked, pointing in disbelief at the clubroom.

Haruhi smirked cutely. "Informing the club members means informing the entire school. Especially your lady customers."

I threw my hands up. "But I wanted this to be quiet and with just us. I've had enough elaborate parties to last a lifetime." She gave me a reassuring look at that and led me into the room. Girls crowded around me, wishing me a happy birthday, and generally filling the area with their overpowering perfumes. I smiled and greeted them, but I was really waiting for them all to leave so I could spend some more time with my, dare I say it, _best friends. _

"Ladies, ladies, calm down and give the guest of honor some room," Tamaki said into a microphone. "We have some opportunities for games to play that involve him. How about it?" He paused after the word 'it', as if there was a word he would have said, but couldn't. It probably was 'princess'. I had noticed this before, but he wasn't using that word anymore, not for any of the ladies, when he normally threw it around like a fairy sprinkling magical dust or something. This was strange, but I would question him about it later.

"We'll start with a 'Which is Hikaru?' game!" Everyone cheered except Haruhi and I, who groaned. Hikaru and Kaoru combed their hair back so no one could tell them apart by their hair parts. Twirling around each other, they tried their best to confuse everyone watching. They succeeded; many girls were looking a bit nauseous.

"Now, which one of us is Hikaru?" the twins asked simultaneously. A tentative first-year raised her hand and pointed to Kaoru. "Wrong!" they said cheerfully, twirling again.

"This is going to take forever," Haruhi whispered into my ear. I tingled with her close proximity. I should have been used to it by then.

"We can escape for a minute," I suggested, but before she could agree, Tamaki walked over and threw his arms around me.

"How is the party, mommy?" he asked loudly.

I laughed, one of the only times I've done that. "Thank you for still being ridiculous. I was worried when this was planned without my knowledge."

Tamaki turned red, but looked at me with a resolution in his eyes. "I need to tell you guys something when this is over."

"Alright," Haruhi answered, seeming perplexed. I nodded. Tamaki had relief on his face, and left us to attend to the 'Which one is Hikaru?' game.

The next game was trivia about the hosts. Apparently, Hani-senpai used to have a stuffed bunny named Usa-chan, Kaoru loved Disney movies (like, American Disney movies), Mori-senpai ate and did martial arts when worried, and Hikaru wanted to be a fashion designer. Haruhi had no cards, and I asked her about it, but she just laughed and said, "Everyone's trying to protect me from the girls. They all have serious jealousy issues."

I gazed out at all the girls that wanted to celebrate my birthday and realized that I'd made a life for myself in this commoner's school that I wasn't supposed to be attending in the first place. I never wanted to leave, but I had something of my own to tell. I prayed they would forgive me. Especially Haruhi.

* * *

Haruhi POV

He looked pretty peaceful, which was strange considering he'd never wanted a party. But his expression was sad, as if he wasn't expecting the peace to last much longer. Kyo hadn't left my side since we entered the clubroom, holding my hand and not letting go. I knew I wouldn't feel happy very long without him. It would break me if he left.

The party lasted another mindless hour, during which we stood on the sidelines watching our best friends play. Tama still looked like he was missing someone, but I didn't think it was apparent to the customers. Maybe what he needed to tell us had something to do with that. In fact, that was probably it.

The girls took their sweet time clearing out of the room, ogling the birthday boy with their creepy stares. Maybe I just didn't like them because I liked Kyo too much. Damn, what had happened to me? Renge left last, hugging Kyoya around the middle with a strange fervor. I thought steam was visibly coming out of my ears. I went over to the tiny dressing room to change my clothes, but mostly to get out of the situation. As soon as I left, wearing a long-sleeved blue dress with black flats (I made an effort to look nice!), I noticed a black notebook laying on the table next to my backpack. It was Kyoya's notebook. I picked it up out of curiosity.

I didn't think Kyo would be very mad at me if I looked at it; I'd seen him writing in it during all the classes. It was most likely for notes. He'd actually started paying attention a week ago. I rarely saw him on his computer. I opened the notebook to the first page and my mouth fell open.

The spread of lines were filled with tiny, cramped notes, written in a nearly unreadable handwriting. Kyoya wasn't normally this disorganized, so it was kind of a surprise. When I actually started reading the words, I became speechless.

The beginning ones were kind of bad: _She drives me absolutely insane! Why on Earth is it so impossible for her to leave me alone? I have a job to complete, and until it's done, I can't have any such distractions. _

_The hacking went terribly today. Nothing about the firewall has changed, in fact, it's so god damn difficult, I wonder if I coded it at some point. She asked me why I wasn't doing the schoolwork, and I said it was because it was too easy. I miss Ouran and its work that was somewhat of a challenge. Does she have nothing better to do than get in my business?_

And then they got a bit confusing:_ Why did she take care of me? I'm sure someone bribed her to do it, she hates me as much as I hate her, so what other motive could she have? Haruhi saw me at my weakest and didn't do anything with that. And why did I dream about her? I haven't known her long enough to know what dresses she'd look good in, much less what she'd say if she thought I was lying to her. I don't understand what's happening to me. _

_She talked me into the Host Club. I don't know why I agreed to it, and now I'm stuck as the mother of some hyperactive crazies. Including my best friend. He's so pure, I understand why Haruhi needs to protect him. I have a feeling she needs to protect people from hurting themselves. Explains why she keeps telling me to eat. _

_She told me to get my head out of my ass today. She said everything was waiting for me if I stood up and took it in. What is everything exactly? There's an everything I want, but it doesn't involve anything I've seen. Except my friend, and the club members, and maybe even her. I want her to be part of it, really. I just can't say it. _

_The girl cut her finger, and I had to rush in and save the day. And in doing so, I felt the sudden urge to kiss her. And bite her. I feel strangely terrible and amazing at the same time. She's invaded what little sleep I get already, I can't stop thinking about her, and I want to know her better. Maybe it'll give me a reason for all this. _

_She told me Tamaki was going on a date tonight, and she was surprisingly nervous. I asked her why, and she told me she was afraid of the two breaking each other's hearts. I'm afraid of that too, just more that she'll hurt me than me hurt her. So selfish, aren't I? _

_So, now someone knows about my one fear. I never told anyone, but she seemed to figure it out all on her own. She's pretty damn oblivious, she still hasn't noticed the twins, and yet she saw me being scared. Oddly enough, I trust her completely with it. Me, Kyoya Otori, trusting someone is more ridiculous than Tamaki's mind theatres, but it's the truth. I'm scared of the truth. I'm scared of how much I love her now. Haruhi is beautiful and won't desert me, and tolerant and caring and believes I have a speck of goodness in my black heart. She makes _me_ believe I have a speck of goodness. Even if this doesn't work, I will forever be indebted to her. _

I put a hand over my mouth in shock, trying very hard not to cry.

_She held me, willingly and lovingly. If I hadn't already been in love with her, I would have fallen right then and there. When do I tell her? Is it even possible she'll accept my feelings? It doesn't seem possible that a couple months ago, I hated her, but now I'm not sure what to do. I do know one thing however: I am in love with Haruhi Fujioka. What I do with it now is uncertain. _

And there the diary entries ended. Did he have any idea about my feelings? Staring at the handwriting of the black-haired boy I sat in front of, I felt something strange. I was in love with him too. Exactly how long had we gone without knowing it about the other?

I was in love with Kyoya Otori. I almost laughed. I'd hated him too, once. The rich boy that had intruded into places he didn't belong, and then creeping his way further in. He had a habit of doing that. And here we both were, entirely in love.

I closed the notebook carefully, replacing it on the table where I'd found it. When I entered the clubroom again, Tama and Kyo and the other club members were sitting, waiting for me, and one more person had joined us.

"I told you I had a secret you needed to know," Tamaki started. "And here it is." He leaned over to kiss the platinum-haired boy on his right. I knew he loved Nekozawa-san, but it still surprised me. "Umehito Nekozawa is my boyfriend, and I hope you all don't mind."

Hani-senpai shook his head. "Fine with me. Treat him right," he finished, looking at both boys individually.

The twins grinned. "We already knew, and we're fine with it." Tama stared at them in shock, but couldn't get any words out.

Kyo smiled. "Who am I to tell you who you can love and date?"

I replied something like that, and Tama seemed very relieved. He collapsed into Nekozawa's arms, and they left the clubroom. "He probably shouldn't have gone," Kyo said. "I have something of my own to reveal."

"So, you all know that I wasn't here of my own will. My family became spontaneously bankrupt, and I thought it was my fault, so I tried to hack Yoshikawa Bank to get the money back." There was a slight pause as the twins tried to stop clapping. "But, I kept failing. And then I realized something very important when the teacher said my 'last name' in class. I bought my father's company under the name Kyo Shinohara and froze the assets so only I could access them. I am now the owner of Otori Medical."

"So, wait. Mommy is a CEO?" the twins asked.

"Something like that," he answered, putting his head in his hands. "But, I don't want to run the company, so I made a deal with my father that I could do whatever I want with my life as long as he funds it. In return, I go back to Ouran. Starting in December."

"We have nine days left with you?" I asked. He nodded silently.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. We'll have the masquerade ball for the club on Friday, and afterward, I'll leave. And none of you will hopefully ever have to see me again."

The twins and Hani-senpai were fairly accepting of it, but I was fuming. They all left the clubroom to visit Mori-senpai, but Kyo and I stayed behind. We were quiet for a moment, before he said, "You look beautiful."

I threw my arms around him. Kyo held me very close. I could smell something lemony and sharp on his skin. I knew that if I didn't tell him I loved him, I'd spend the rest of my life trying to convince myself it wasn't real. "I have to tell you something, because knowing things makes you happy."

"What?"

I whispered in his ear, "I'm scared too." I pressed my lips to his, feeling all there was to feel when you were a teenage person in love: fright, heartbreak, and hope. Always the hope.

He kissed me back, entwining his fingers in my hair. When we broke apart, his eyes were worried and guarded, as if trying to rebuild a fortress that had been brutally attacked. Kyoya smiled bitterly, and it hurt to look at. It was one of those fake smiles he gave out sometimes, the ones that you know something is terribly wrong with, but you can't really see it. "Farewell, Miss Fujioka. I'll see you for the last time at the ball."

Kyoya Otori didn't look back as he took his bag and went outside. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed like a thin glass structure that had a stress fracture, and was slowly breaking open.

* * *

**Sorry this is late. My Wi-Fi was being so mean the past couple days. There's probably some OOC stuff in this chapter. Oops. Longest chapter ever, though. Yay! **


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter was added in for the sole purpose of fluff. Well, maybe not. *evil grin* I actually planned this chapter, unlike chapters 7, 9, and 10. Enjoy! **

* * *

Nekozawa POV

Tamaki had his arms wrapped around me in the car. Yesterday, he'd kissed me in front of all his friends, and I had to hide my face because my temperature increased to maybe 40 degrees C. Seriously, I was checking for fever after that. "Did you know the twins knew about us?" he asked once we'd left the building.

"Yes, actually. I noticed them watching us." Tamaki looked at me like I was a beautiful, magical siren.

"You are amazing, princess," he replied. He kissed my cheek lightly. "Now, we can go on our date tomorrow, right?"

I nodded. "Let's do it. I hope you get frightened and hold on to me."

So here we were in Haruhi's car, being driven to the amusement park. "You two will behave. No Public Displays of Affection, no excessive singing, no making scenes, and no foreign food! Am I clear, Tama?" Haruhi looked incredibly serious.

I grinned. "Has any of that happened before?"

"Yes. And it won't happen again, will it?" she threatened. I kissed him quietly.

"I'll keep him on track. Thanks for the ride." I yanked his hand out of the car when we got to the amusement park. "Now, let's have fun."

* * *

As with all dates, it started with a rollercoaster. "Come on, it'll be fun!" he said. "There's a complete possibility of throwing up, but we need to try not to."

I gaped at him. "That is your definition of fun. How is that..."

"Come on! We'll miss the short line. And then we'll have to do something even crazier to make up for it." I groaned very loud and long, getting some funny looks from a few moms shepherding their children to the bumper cars.

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine, but don't expect any other entirely crazy things from me today."

Tamaki huffed. "Crazy is the point of an amusement park. Experiences of all kinds, remember?"

"Don't try to get anything out of me until later."

He pulled me by the hand to the line of people queued up for the 'Death Shark'. A group of teenage girls were giggling in front of us. The weather was much more reasonable in this part of Japan, close to the ocean, so we were dressed in light jackets. Tamaki's hands, I realized, were bigger than mine. I felt really comfortable with him, loved and happy.

When we reached the front of the line, the person working the ticket scanner stared at us. For a moment I didn't recognize him, but then the orange scent hit me. Kuze. I had no idea he had more than one job. He opened his mouth to say something but I glared at him very hard for a while. I motioned between us and pointed to a small tent where we could talk. He nodded angrily and looked like he wanted to protest, but another look shut him up. I wanted to keep Kuze away from Tamaki.

With a couple steps, we had settled into one of the shark-shaped cars on the rollercoaster. Tamaki had curled me into him, making me put my arms in the middle of his on the pole we were supposed to be holding on to. I was basically sitting on his lap. "This is probably unsafe," I said, not very loud, because he was so close to me.

"I'll protect you." His voice was sweet and slightly husky. I wondered why.

The ride had lots of ups and downs, and the speed was pretty disorienting, but Tamaki was holding me, so it didn't matter. At least until the freefall. "Why the hell do they have to put these things on an already stomach-sickening ride?" I yelled against the wind.

"Because it's fun!" Tamaki yelled back, a grin spreading on his face. "Want me to hold you tighter?"

"No! I'm fine!" We were a meter from the drop. "Okay, yes, please hold me!" His arms pulled my waist into his chest and he put his head on my shoulder as we fell. And holy shit, was it a fall.

My knees were weak when we got off the little car. "So, rollercoasters are not my favorite," I said as he exclaimed, "That was awesome!"

I laughed gently. "What?" he asked.

"You are so cute. So goddamn cute." Tamaki blushed darkly and hid his face in my back.

"Well, you consented to sit on my lap the whole time, and I thought that was a little more than cute." I was the one blushing then. "You have some serious abs, my princess."

I was about to start saying something completely random and probably embarrassing when an annoying little voice interrupted me. "I even see you perverted faggots at a park. What has the world come to?"

"Kuze, you are in a public place," I said icily. "Please refrain from being as rude as I know you can get."

"Shut up. You need to get out of here before I make you." His face had twisted into an ugly grimace. "You people are disgusting."

"First of all, Tamaki," I turned to him, "this is my coworker, Kuze. Second of all, you have no right to tell us who we can and can't be with. No one has that jurisdiction. I am allowed to love and date whoever I want to, and you can shut your damn mouth. Just because I like boys, specifically this one, and you like girls doesn't mean I am worth less than you."

Kuze looked a bit speechless, as did all the people in a 5 meter radius. "Now, if you don't mind Kuze, and all other patrons of this park, Tamaki and I are going to continue our date." I grabbed Tamaki's hand and walked over to the food tents.

"Oh my God," he said when we were safely inside.

"He is an absolute dick and deserved to know it," I told him, taking an American fried something on a stick.

"You are so..." Tamaki trailed off.

"What?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

"I love you more than anything." His voice was soft and beautiful. I kissed him quietly, drinking in the feeling of his lips on mine. Because both our eyes were closed, we jumped when we heard a group of fangirls squeal at us.

"Sweetheart, you should eat that while it's still hot." I motioned to the food in my hand. He smiled mischievously.

"Only if you feed me." Tamaki tilted my chin up with one finger. I shoved the foreign food in his face, but he just kept smiling. Tamaki ate that entire fried thing from my hand, licking my fingers when it was gone. I shivered at the touch of his tongue.

"Well, we've covered making a scene and PDA and eating foreign food, but we haven't done the excessive singing yet," I said, trying to shake myself out of how high Tamaki made me feel.

"I can sing. There is no such thing as excessive." Tamaki went out into the middle of the amusement park, dragging me behind him.

"And the bubbly pop music!" he started.

"Stay with me, baby stay with me

Tonight don't leave me alone

Walk with me, come and walk with me

To the edge of all we've ever known

I can see you there in the city lights

Fourteenth floor, pale blue eyes, I could breathe you in

Two shadows standing by the bedroom door

No, I could not want you more than I did right then, as our heads leaned in."

"It's English." I remarked. People were starting to stare, and I didn't care at all. Tamaki was actually a very good singer, and his voice was entirely sexy. Damn, I loved him.

"Well, I'm not sure what this is gonna be

But with my eyes closed all I see

Is the skyline through the window

The moon above you and the streets below

Hold my breath as you're moving in

Taste your lips and feel your skin

When the time comes, baby don't run

Just," he walked forward to me, "kiss me slowly." I laced my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. My fingers ran through his very soft blonde hair.

When we broke off the kiss, he breathlessly asked, "Can we go somewhere else?"

"I believe we can cut off this date to go back home," I replied. "Yours or mine?"

"Mine," he whispered. "Because you're mine." I nodded.

* * *

Tamaki POV

I had to stop myself from giggling. Me and my gorgeous boyfriend had eaten foreign food, excessively sung, had multiple Public Displays of Affection, and made a scene. Haruhi was so going to kill me, but I really did not give a crap. I wanted to kiss him until his lungs gave out, or until we couldn't just kiss anymore.

Haruhi completely didn't notice Ume and I jittery from bottled tension and love. She asked us if we had fun, and we just smiled and said we needed to go home. Haruhi didn't question it, but a funny look crossed her face.

"My princess," I said as we reached my front door. "Come with me." Ume grinned and took my outstretched hand.

As soon as we entered the house, I shut the door, led Umehito into my room, and kissed him deeply.

We moved our lips together slowly, enjoying every second. His hands wandered over my shoulders and arms, kissing me. And oh my God did kissing mean so much more to me than it used to. It meant he loved me, and that meant everything. I slid my tongue along his bottom lip to ask if he would let me in. He shuddered and moaned quietly, which encouraged me.

I gently ran my hands down his torso, hooking my fingers in his belt loops, and pulling him closer to me. That's how it was with lovers: they always needed to get nearer to one another. We were no exception. His hips moved against mine, entrancing me like the words I threw around in the host club entranced the ladies. His mouth still twisted with my lips, making me feel thoroughly loved. Or maybe just lip-screwed. One of his hands slipped under my t-shirt and stroked my back. I softly kissed his neck, causing him to huff in disappointment. Umehito tilted his head back, allowing me to have a better angle.

When I was done paying my full attention to his neck, not without many little red marks to show for it, I turned again to Ume's lips, but he pushed me down onto my bed. "Now, we can actually do this," he murmured, me completely able to feel him say it against my swollen mouth. Umehito's palms were flat on my chest, and his body had somehow, don't even ask, ended up on top of mine. Our legs became intertwined.

"You are very eager, my princess," I breathed, feeling his hand slide further and further up my shirt.

"You, sweetheart, don't know the half of it." And with that statement, that very sexy statement, he pulled my shirt off over my head.

"I can tell," I replied, trying to concentrate on what he was saying rather than the things his mouth was doing to my shoulder. And oh, did it feel good. Almost better than his voice.

I couldn't have counted the number of kisses we shared. It would be like asking the person running the Hubble Telescope to count all the stars in every portion of every picture they'd ever taken. Sometimes the love translates into stars, until there's so much of it, part of it forms the Sun. Love is the Sun. It was a good line, I remembered thinking, or maybe I was so kiss-addled my amazing poetic mind was failing.

In a period of time, I had removed Umehito's shirt as well, pushing it off my bed with mine. His chest was exactly as I'd imagined it in that fantasy during our first date._ He loved me._ Which was the real reason we were curled up on my bed, kissing and taking off harmless items of clothing: I loved that gorgeous, platinum-haired third-year, and he loved a little brother-type, blonde second-year. He meant the whole world to me.

Our bare chests were pressed together, Umehito's hips on top of mine, Umehito's body lining up perfectly with mine. Both our sets of hands were braced on the other's jeans, but neither one of us were going to go any farther. I wanted it that way, but at the same time I really didn't. "I think we should do that again sometime." Ume had a smirk on his face, an expression that I knew to be affectionate. My boyfriend was a total tsun-tsun.

"That sounds very good." I pushed him off me, and he stood up, holding out his hand for the two of us to go into the kitchen. We didn't feel a real need to put our shirts back on, although I was blushing up a storm in my corner without a layer between me and Ume's hands. We sat on stools and turned on the television, not expecting anything interesting. Not that it would matter; company made any sort of bad TV worth it.

"The headmaster of Ouran Academy is here to speak with us today. His new uniform ideas are apparently revolutionary," the reporter announced. "How are you today, Mr. Suoh?"

I started at the last name, the exact same as mine. As the man came into the view of the camera, I buried my head in Ume's shoulder. "He looks like a carbon copy of me," I whispered.

"Do you know him?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"You know, I never knew who my father was. My mother never told me. She told me he left us when I wasn't even born because my mom was an affair. Mom always said he loved her, but he couldn't stay. And then she left me alone seven years ago, so Haruhi and her father took me in. And my apparent father, whom I've never met, is showing up on live television. Wow."

Umehito hugged me. "We all have our days. Do you want to call him? See if he's the real deal?"

I shook my head as he was dialing the number on the screen. "So, we're just going to call this man out of nowhere, who has my last name and some semblance of my looks, to ask if he ever had a son?"

"Yes," was Ume's simple answer. The phone rang quietly after the segment on Mr. Suoh finished. A sound of someone picking up their phone echoed from our device.

"Hello, this is Yuzuru Suoh. What can I do for you?"

"Yes, hello, I'm calling on behalf of a friend. Did you ever have an affair with a woman named..." I mouthed the name, "Anne-Sophie?"

Silence was on the other end. "Are you from the press? Because that is a tragic story I don't wish to tell."

"No, sir. I'm not from the press. But I do think I have someone whom you'd like to know."

Ume handed me the phone. "Um, hi, my mother's name was Anne-Sophie, and my last name is Suoh. I think I'm your son."

* * *

**See, told you there was more to this chapter than just fluff. Sorry, this didn't get updated on Valentine's because I had no writing juices flowing at all. Hope you liked it though!**


	13. Chapter 13

**The song from the last chapter was 'Kiss Me Slowly' by Parachute. It sounded romantic and awesome enough for Tama to excessively sing. Yep. And now for the ball!**

* * *

Kyoya POV

I had held balls in extravagant ballrooms, beautiful courtyards, restaurants with significant additions, and lavish hotels. However, I'd never held a ball in a high school gymnasium.

The experience wasn't that much different: there were still ribbons floating around, guests to sweet-talk, dresses to be ordered, DJs to find, things like that. But this was my goodbye party. Hold a ball on November 30th, and expect to have your heart broken.

"Kyoya?" someone asked. I turned around to face them with a smile, but it fell from my face when I saw who it was.

"Hello, Haruhi. What do you need?"

She wore a curious expression. "Am I required to dance at this ball? I technically don't host, so I was just wondering."

A sly grin popped up. "Of course you must dance. It's a sign of sophistication and exceptional grace. Why, do you not know how?"

"Answer your own question."

"I would be happy to teach you. Half the boys in this school have a crush on you anyway, might as well indulge them with a dance." She stared at me in shock. How did she not know that?

"They watch you walk down the hall like you're a goddess. You have uncountable good qualities, it's no wonder the boys are enamored with you." The corners of Haruhi's mouth twitched up, but they didn't stay.

"I'll meet you in the clubroom after everything's done." When she had kissed Tamaki on the cheek, she left to go eat lunch. I collapsed into a chair unhappily. I didn't want to leave her, and I didn't want to be distant from her, but it would really hurt me if I didn't begin to close myself off again. Tamaki walked over to my prostrate form and plopped down next to me.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night? Were you just thinking about Haru-nee?" Tama asked.

"Have I ever gotten consistent sleep? And when do I not think about Haruhi?"

"Touche." He shifted the collar of his shirt to cover up a mysterious red mark on his neck.

"What is that?" I asked, having a pretty good feeling about the answer.

"Um, I don't know, maybe it's like a bruise or something." Oh Tamaki, you were such a bad liar.

"So, you didn't have an amazing makeout session with your rather good-looking boyfriend after your date." Tamaki blushed extremely dark.

"I refuse to answer that." He was trying to look tough and unbreakable, but he was failing miserably.

"Ah. I'll get back to the planning in a minute, just let me sit here." Tamaki patted me on the head and headed out the door to lunch. I occupied myself with some boring, trivial things until the time was up and I had to go back to class. I didn't see Haruhi again for a while.

When school ended, I went to the clubroom again to host. Hosting made me tired, but I let it go because I probably would never be able to host again. The girls noticed my quietude, and questioned it plenty, but left me alone when I gave them a little smile. Apparently, when I actually smile, which is almost never, it's very attractive, judging from the loud squeals coming from the corner of Music Room Three.

As soon as everyone evacuated the room, Haruhi gently shook me. "Come on, you need to teach me instead of sleeping."

"But I want to sleep," I whined drowsily. She pulled me up by the hand.

"You sound like Tama."

"So what, I'm tired."

Her face, having been already soft, softened further. "You didn't tell anyone that, did you?"

"Of course not. Why would I tell people I have a weakness?"

"Being tired isn't a weakness," she murmured.

"You are a weakness. That's why this is so damn hard. I am weak and it's all your fault."

Haruhi pulled me up, with absolutely no mercy at all. "Teach me to dance or I'll inform your father you refused."

I glared at her. "You know, there's a reason the twins call you the shadow king," she remarked.

"I'll teach you to waltz, but that's it." Haruhi grinned slightly, but there was sadness in her eyes. _I am so sorry, my love._

I walked into the middle of the floor, shoving couches away as I went to give us space. "Alright, I'm going to put my right hand on your waist and my left hand out, while you put your left hand on my shoulder and your right hand out." Haruhi did what I asked, but when I went to put my hand on her waist, I shuddered at the feeling of her skin. I was way too far gone to be saved.

"The music is rather boring sometimes, but the steps are simple. You, as the female, will always start by stepping back with your right foot first. Then you step out with your left foot, and then you step your right foot to your left." She stumbled over her feet a little, but soon she got it. "Now, to go forward, you just do the same thing as I did the first time: step forward with the left, side with the right, and together with the left." Haruhi caught on faster that time.

"Now, we need to do this with music." I separated from her to grab my computer and put I on the table, playing a pretty typical waltz from the 18th century. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, of course." I held out my hand, and she took it, the fingers of her other hand brushing over my shoulder. "Start by going back. One two three, one two go." As we began to dance, I unconsciously pulled her closer. Soon we became so used to being with each other, the dance felt graceful and light. I'd never felt that way about any of my partners before. Everything usually weighed me down, but Haruhi didn't. And why would she?

We knew the song was about to end, but neither of us stopped moving. To any outside observer, we must have seemed like a single body, circling and undulating in the almost completely set sun. Our shadow was getting longer and longer as the window darkened. As the final notes rang out from my computer's speakers, I turned Haruhi until her arms were crossed over her torso and my hands held them in place. She and I didn't speak for a few moments, Haruhi's back pressed against my chest, and my chest pressed against her back.

As we stood there, I really really wanted to kiss her on the very top of her head, but when my lips were not far from her head, she turned and I ended up grazing her cheek. She didn't look surprised, merely melancholy, like she was remembering better times, but the exact memory was beyond her reach. "Do you have something you need to tell me, Kyoya?"

I spun Haruhi out of my arms and let go of her hands, trying to stifle the noise of distress that came with being separated from her. My legs moved, much to my heart's disapproval, away from Haruhi, to the door. I turned around and replied coldly, "No, I don't need to tell you anything."

* * *

Haruhi POV

The hours until the ball happened passed relatively quickly. Okay, that was a total lie. The time moved slower than honey in the cold air. My father kept trying to find me one of his dresses to wear for the ball, but the problem was that most of his closet was entirely flashy and expensive. It wasn't like me at all. In my closet, which was more low-key, hung a dress that used to be my mom's. The last time she'd worn it was when I was five years old. The dress shimmered an iridescent white, had an empire waist, was sleeveless, and went down to my knees. When Mom wore it, the dress was mid-thigh. A small bow planted itself on the line that marked it an empire-waisted dress. There was exactly one reason I wore it; I wanted to wear something of hers, as a memory that I didn't want to let go.

Tama came over from his barren apartment wearing one of my dad's tuxedos. His hair was as messy and unkept as usual, but his eyes were shining. He couldn't wait to see Nekozawa-senpai and dance at a party. Nii-chan had simple wants, and they made him into my beautiful brother. He would have an amazing life, experiencing everything he could and making as many mistakes as humanly possible. For some odd reason, I was in a sentimental mood. That reason's name happened to be Kyoya Otori.

I didn't want him to go.

I never wanted him to leave.

If he had to leave, I was coming too.

With those resolves in my mind, I put my hair in a twisted updo, grabbed a coat, grabbed Tama-nii, and left the house.

The roads were covered in snow on the way to high school. The sky was dark and obscured by clouds, not a single ray of starlight showing. Tama talked almost nonstop as I drove, excited to a ridiculous extent. I was prepared to say something and make him go into his depressed corner, but neither of us needed that right then.

The parking lot was crowded, full to the brim with cars. I had to park a block away from the school. We entered a side door because we were in the host club. The first people we saw were Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai. "Hello!" Hani said happily. "Guess who's back from the hospital?"

"I'm so glad you're okay." I hugged my very tall older friend around the middle. "So, what did the doctors have to say?" I asked Hani.

"Well, his brain is healing fine, and there's no really bad irreparable damage, but he won't be able to speak more than a few words now and again for maybe the rest of his life. But that's alright, because I'll love him forever." My senpai blushed, the first time I'd ever seen him do that. Hani looked triumphant, and kissed Mori-senpai on the corner of his mouth, rising up on his tiptoes. I swore Hani had shrunk a couple centimeters since I last saw him.

"We'll see you inside," Hani-senpai said cheerfully. He took Mori-senpai's hand and led him into the dark interior of the gym, made visible by a door opening. When Tama and I stepped through it, the first thing that struck me was the elaborateness of everything. It was so Kyoya, the careful decorations, the meticulous detail. He had done this with all the thought as he put into anything else, except I could see differences. Kyoya had put light blue ribbons on the walls, my favorite color that I didn't tend to tell people. It must have been a coincidence.

Tama was the one to see the masks in bins near the people's entrance. "Don't tell me this is a masquerade and you forgot." Tama's voice was indignant, as if I had robbed him of an important opportunity.

"I did forget. Sorry." Tamaki huffed and rummaged around until he came out with a gold eye mask. With a flourish, he disappeared into the crowd of dancers, twirling about to the newest J-pop song. I picked a turquoise mask out and slipped it on, not expecting to feel like Cinderella, masked and wearing a dress magicked up by the fairy godmother known as Mom. All I needed were some glass slippers.

When I dove into the huge group of people that had shown up to the Host Club's event, I felt incredibly stifled, so I found a chair by the punch bowl and just stayed there. Everyone that passed by me whispered about the dark-haired club member that had accepted all dances and captured the hearts of every female and some males in the area. Over a longer period of time, I began to hear more about the blonde, foreign-looking boy that had revealed himself to be even more of a Prince Charming-type than he usually was during club hours. I knew Tama was treating the masses like he would have treated Nekozawa-senpai. Hani-senpai, being his adorable little self, was spinning around with all the girls, Mori-senpai standing protectively nearby. The twins danced back to back, circling with their partners. And there I was.

I decided that some punch couldn't hurt, especially since I was doing absolutely nothing and using my lazy part of my personality. As I went to grab a glass, I noticed a couple boys from Class H pour something from a flask into the bowl. Coming a bit closer, I could smell the alcohol. I sighed. Even a party held by completely not deviant boys had spiked punch. There went my grand idea to drink the red juice.

I missed Kyoya. He would have had me tempted to dance with everyone, even though I was so terrible at dancing, it would have made a baby cry. Kyo would never admit he felt claustrophobic, but he'd find me and he'd feel better. Oh shit, Kyoya was claustrophobic. I stood up to go find him, because it would suck for him to feel like that before he left.

The masked people all over made it hard to identify the one person I was looking for. There were too many freaking dark-haired people in Japan, plus the addition of the masks, and the uncommonness of everyone in dresses and suits.

Eventually I got lost in the middle of the pulsing group. For a few minutes, I was stagnant, but I followed some girls back to the punch bowl soon enough. Falling ungracefully back into my chair, I considered asking the DJ to tell Kyoya where to go so we could find each other. But someone changed my mind.

"Is this punch spiked?" a muffled voice asked, dressed in a tux and black mask that left his lips uncovered.

"Do you really want to know?" I replied.

"Of course. Is it spiked or not?"

"Yes. I know who did it too, if you need that information."

He shook his head quickly. "Can you get me a cup?"

I cautiously ladled a small amount of red juice into a plastic cup, which he handed back for more. When he thought there was enough, he took a large gulp, made a strange face and took another gulp. "So what if none of us can drink this legally, it's useful every once in a while."

"For what, exactly?" I didn't trust this random guy that had come to the punch bowl to just drink alcohol.

"I need to drink away my unhappiness for one night."

"Amen," I replied. "Be my drinking buddy for tonight." I grabbed a cup and filled it to the brim. I felt an urge to do something stupid. Experiences of all kinds, right? At least I'd be entirely truthful about everything, unlike Kyoya, who insisted that we had nothing. I loved him, I lost him, and here was a depressed stranger that had similar problems. This would work for just one night.

"Now, tell me the whole story."

* * *

**For some reason, it's easy to imagine Haruhi having a drinking buddy. Maybe I'm just insane. Don't worry, nothing bad happens to anybody next chapter. This chapter is a two-parter. I might be a really good person and write the next chapter over the weekend. Or not. Love y'all! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello. Come here often? _Smiles flirtatiously._ Welcome to Chapter 14. This one might be my longest chapter, but we'll just have to see.**

* * *

Haruhi POV

"Now, tell me the whole story."

The boy took another gulp of the drink in his hand. "I moved here from a different part of Tokyo, and when we met, I thought she was a hindrance. But she got into my head, and made me think of myself like more than someone that has to do everything at once for everyone. She told me I needed to live my life how I wanted to. And I kissed her a few times. Probably shouldn't have, because now that's one more thing I regret about leaving her." He paused. "Why did I have to leave her?" His voice was cracked and sad.

I took another sip of my punch. "It wasn't your fault you had to leave, was it?"

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head, and it sounded slightly familiar. "I love her and miss her so much. And I am being so much more sentimental and insane than usual. I think I'm a lightweight."

I laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I think I'm a lightweight too. It's okay if you love her, as long as you tell her. You can't expect her to just know. Not everyone can be as smart as...um..."

"Who? Is he your reason for being my buddy tonight?" There was an underlying little boy tone in his voice. "We're buddies, right?"

"Yes and yes. I love him and his intelligence, but he's going to leave soon, and I probably won't ever see him again. I originally hated him, because he had this arrogant, calculating personality, but he never took care of himself, and eventually when I reminded him to be nice to himself I saw all his good qualities. He is really very kind, and thinks a lot about others, but he somehow thinks that no one needs to see that side of him. It's kind of sad." I shook myself out of it. "But, he's moving away, and I should forget about him, or use his memory for something good."

Mask nodded. "Did you tell him how you felt either?"

I hesitated. "No. I thought about it many times, but I also thought I had the time to tell him."

"We're really in the same boat, aren't we?" Mask asked.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"Well," his expression brightened, "I think I've got an idea."

"What is it?" I asked, listening fully.

"Because we are both intoxicated but still able to make smart decisions, we should send notes to the DJ to read for the people we didn't tell our feelings."

"She's here, isn't she?"

"I'm pretty sure," Mask shrugged. His shoulders didn't seem used to the action, like he never was unsure of anything.

"Then," I started, standing and holding out my hand, "why don't we go?" Mask took it, kind of surprised, but strangely comforted. I saw it in the lines near his mouth. Everything about Mask felt familiar, like I'd once known him very well.

We wove in and out of the crowd, our hands linking two children that happened to be in the right place at the right time. When we reached the DJ's booth, where Kaoru was currently chatting him up, I said over the pounding, loud music, "We'd like to dedicate songs, please."

The DJ yelled, "That'd be fine. What would y'all like to say?"

I pushed Mask forward, but he didn't let go of my hand. "I would like 'The Only Exception' by Paramore. And tell her that I'm not claustrophobic anymore, so thank you."

I stared at him. "What was that?"

"She cured me of my claustrophobia a little while ago. I have been afraid of being stuck in small spaces since age ten, and I never said thank you." Mask smiled. "She rearranged my whole life."

"When is your birthday?" I asked cautiously, wondering if I knew the answer.

"November 22nd. I had a party with my best friends last week."

"Kyoya?"

"Yeah?"

I put a hand to my face, and took off my mask. "Haruhi?" His voice was small and hopeful. "You love me?"

I slid my fingers under his mask to stroke the bridge of his nose and his cheekbones, and ran a thumb over his eyelids, taking off the metallic, black cardstock. Kyo's eyes shone brilliantly, partially from the alcohol, but also from me. "And you love me," I whispered.

"Yep." One of his million yen smiles graced his features. "I love you."

I was sure my face lit up like the fireworks on festival days. "How is it that the two smartest in the second year were such idiots about this?"

Kyoya kissed me on the cheek. "Love makes fools out of everyone. I'm sure I've heard that somewhere."

He pulled me into the middle of the dance floor. "Let's waltz. I taught you how, after all."

I nodded, taking his hand and positioning m other hand where he'd shown me. As our feet began to move to the music, I realized how much this song reminded me of us.

"Maybe I know somewhere, deep in my soul, that love never lasts

"And we've got to find other ways to make it alone or keep a straight face

"And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance

"Up until now, I have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness

"Because none of it was ever worth the risk." Kyoya spun me as the lights began to shine on us.

"You are the only exception, you are the only exception

"You are the only exception, you are the only exception." The bridge of the song started as we circled the dance floor, letting people watch us in our happy moment.

"I've got a tight grip on reality but I can't let go of what's a part of me here

"I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up," the two of us clasped the other's hand tighter, "Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream."

I wrapped my arms around Kyoya's neck, and he pulled his around my waist in a slow dance. My lips brushed against his shoulder in the tux as I breathed him in. We just held each other close for a while, not speaking, because he understood, and so did I.

"And I'm on my way to believing

"Oh, and I'm on my way to believing." As the final strums of the guitar died out, Kyoya kissed me quietly. Neither one of us needed to hide our feelings, the problem was what to do with them.

"Hey, mommy," a voice behind me said. I turned to see my brother. "I have something the both of you might like to know."

* * *

Tamaki POV

Haruhi and my best friend were hugging in the middle of the dance floor when I found them. I knew the song must have been chosen by Kyoya, because he had good taste unlike my sister, and it must have been chosen for them. They probably had admitted they loved each other, finally. The thought made me smile, and Ume kissed me on the cheek when he saw it.

"How about telling those lovebirds some good news?" he asked, gently pushing me forward.

I cheerfully skipped towards Mommy and nee-chan. Before I could say anything, the two of them kissed. I had a overpowering urge to jump up and down with happiness. "Hey, mommy," I said when they'd finished, "I have something the both of you might like to know."

"Alright, Tama, what is it?" Haruhi asked.

I took a deep breath. "So, you know how you guys found me in an empty apartment at ten years old? That was because my mom died. She fell in love with Father in France when he was there on a business trip. Mom always said it was love at first sight. But he was married, and the matriarch of his family refused to let him stay with Mother to keep up the family's image.

"By the time Father had left France, Mom found out she was pregnant with me, and never told him. With money that he had sent her to take care of hospital bills, because she was sick, she moved the two of us to Japan, where Father was. Mom raised me without telling me who Father was, not even when she died and I was left alone.

"But I found him. His name is Yuzuru Suoh, and he never knew about me until a few days ago when I met him. Father is," I paused, a couple tears streaking down my face, "amazing, and he loves me already, even though we just met."

Haruhi reached her arms out to hug me. I gratefully fell into them. "It gets better. When we were talking, I told him about all of you, especially you," I said, looking over at Kyoya, "and he told me if all of us wanted to go to Ouran with Kyoya, he would fund it."

Mommy's mouth fell open, and I laughed. He must have gotten into the punch a little bit. "Your dad only said _you _had to go to Ouran, not that we couldn't follow!"

Kyoya walked off the dance floor and sat down in a chair by the punch bowl. "So, let me get this straight," he said slowly. "When I go to Ouran Academy, the entire Host Club, funded by your incredibly rich, long-lost father, is coming with me?"

"Yep!"

Mommy held out a hand. Haru took it, and it was pulled to Kyoya's lips and kissed. "Oh my dear God," he whispered. As his head came back up to me, I saw a very blissful smile spreading across his face. "There are many reasons why you are my best friend. This is one of them."

* * *

Hani POV

Takashi and I enjoyed the ball very much, but as people started to file out the gym doors, I noticed a strange expression on his face. This worried me, mostly since he was okay now and I was never going to let that happen to him again.

"What is it, Taka?" I asked, running my fingers over his nose.

He kissed my knuckles, shaking his head. "Well, alright then." I took his hand and began leading him through the gym. All the lights were being turned off as everyone vacated the place. Soon, there was a single light on, right in front of the door leading into the street.

When he stepped into the light, Takashi stopped me from moving further. "Do you need something?"

He shook his head, but didn't move forward. "Come on, write it down if you need to."

Takashi slid a hand into my hair, and I leaned into his touch. I wondered if he'd gotten taller recently, because his hand seemed to reach downward to touch me. He brought his lips to mine, and his mouth tasted sweet, like the cake I'd been getting into. But really, I could have been getting shorter.

When we broke apart, Takashi pressed his cheek to my face. I thought that was all he was going to do, but I was beautifully mistaken. "I...love...you," he said, his voice barely making it past his lips. Those were the words Taka spoke for the first time after the accident. He loved me.

* * *

Kaoru POV

Hika and I watched as our friends interacted and loved all night. We had put the vodka in the punch bowl, but only when we knew no one knew it was there except Kyoya and Haruhi. That worked better than we thought it would. Boss and his boyfriend had totally made out in a corner earlier, and we let them, without saying we were there. Mori and Hani-senpai walked out of the gym holding hands. The only ones left were Hika and me.

"Hikaru, everything is about to change for us," I said quietly.

"How do you know?" my twin asked.

"We have the Host Club, and we have each other. Isn't that a recipe for something new?"

Hikaru laughed. "It's a recipe for mayhem!"

I laughed too. "But you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Of course not." Hikaru stared off into space for a moment. "What do you think is waiting for us at Ouran High?"

I grinned. "Let's find out."

* * *

**Yay! Just so you all know, I _do not _support underage drinking. Just no. I am a terrible person for not updating yesterday. I wrote half of this at about 6:45 this morning. **


	15. Chapter 15

**That chapter was such a happy chapter. But now, here's life at Ouran for the first time!**

* * *

Kyoya POV

"Are you sure you have your backpack?" Fuyumi yelled from the stairs.

"Quite certain!" I yelled back.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

I sighed. "I'm fine. Plus, I have people to pick up this morning."

Fuyumi poked her head up to where I was standing. "Like your girlfriend?"

I huffed annoyedly. "Haruhi and I have an undefined relationship. And yes, she is one of the people I'm picking up."

She laughed happily, climbing the stairs to hug me. "My little brother has real friends! That's so cool." I squirmed in her arms, but Fuyumi just squeezed me tighter. "Well, anyway, have a good day!"

I sighed, this time in relief, as she headed back into the kitchen. I was wearing the Ouran High uniform again, after three months of wearing the public school uniform. But this time, I had people coming with me. A tiny smile broke across my face.

I told the chauffer to drive through a poorer part of town, where Hani and Mori-senpai and the twins lived. When I knocked on the door to Mori-senpai's house, a stern-looking older man opened the door. "Can I help you?" he asked formally.

"Yes," I said politely. "I'm picking your son up for school. My name is Kyoya Otori." I held out a hand for him to shake.

"Akira Morinozuka." He shook my hand with a bit of surprise, but didn't let it show for long before shouting down the hall, "Takashi, this young man is taking you to school. Get ready quickly." A few seconds after he finished speaking, Mori-senpai gracefully walked out of his room, wearing the uniform perfectly.

"Shall we?" I motioned to the door. He nodded, while his father said goodbye to me. I thought I made a good impression. It always helps when meeting new people.

Hani-senpai's house was right next to his, making it very easy to find. He'd already woken up, which I thought was strange considering the dangerous personality he tended to have when woken early. Mori came in with me to get him, and in a couple minutes of Mori in Hani-senpai's room, he came out fully dressed, blushing up a storm. I grinned evilly at what persuasive tactics could have been used, but I didn't let it show for long.

Two out of the six were safely in the limo, but next were the twins. Their house was covered in fabric. I mean literally, completely, entirely covered in it. When Kaoru came out, he said Hikaru would be a minute due to the experiment he was performing. "What sort of experiment?" I asked.

"One that has to do with this corset he's making," Kaoru answered. I left the questioning at that. Fashion was one of the very few things I was not an expert in. Hikaru came to the limo with an armful of soft fabric, including a corset. "It can't be a problem if I bring this, can it?" he asked, not looking for an answer. I just left it alone. The girls would love it, and the boys wouldn't care. It would be fine.

Now, I needed to pick up Tamaki and Haruhi. They were both staying with Ranka, who I'd become well-acquainted with since that incident the morning when I was recovering from my fever. We had a very good relationship now, and I thought it was possible for him to accept Haruhi and I. I tingled at the prospects of telling him someday.

"Hello, Fujiokas," I said as I entered their small home. Ranka wasn't home, judging from the clean state of the place, and there was noise coming from the smaller bedroom. I knocked before entering, but no one heard me, so I stepped in.

"Haruhi, you cannot go to a rich school with your hair looking like that!" I heard Tamaki protest. I didn't understand until I saw it. It looked like she had taken scissors to it while blind and drunk.

"What happened?" I asked.

Haruhi sighed cutely. "One of the neighbor kids got gum stuck in my hair, and I had to cut it." I grabbed the scissors from the bedside table and, ignoring Haruhi's annoyed noises, cut it so that it looked presentable. By the time I was finished, her hair was a boy's length, and even. It wasn't long anymore, but I slid my hand through it and found it was still easy. Good enough for me.

I pulled her up and fixed her tie. Only in doing this did I realize she was wearing the boy's uniform. "Why?" I asked, motioning to her figure.

She shrugged. "I didn't really want to wear the girl's uniform. That makes my dad's wardrobe look halfway sensible. Plus, the guy's uniform didn't cost as much, and I wanted to save Mr. Suoh from ordering the extra weird one. And it doesn't matter what gender people think I am."

A small smile appeared on my face. The argument was so _H__aruhi, _I couldn't really answer her. "Alright then," I said. "What year are you going to put yourself in?"

She thought for a moment. "The curriculum for the second year will be much more difficult, and while I could handle it at public school, I should see if the first year stuff isn't hard before I skip years again."

I pressed my lips to her neck, partially covered by the collar of the boy's shirt. "I'll always wait for you in the second year." She turned to kiss me for real, lightly and softly.

"Good," she replied. "Now, we really need to get to school."

I nodded. "Yes. Shall we?" I held my arm out for her to take. Haruhi smiled and took it, and I felt like a count escorting a lady to her carriage. But limos were not as interesting as carriages.

Tamaki jumped up and down with joy at seeing us together. It was rather expected, but still felt good. See, I was using words like 'felt'. I could feel for the first time in a long time. And she was the reason.

* * *

Hikaru POV

My experiment was going really well when we reached Ouran. The whole place was entirely pink. I mean, bubblegum-colored from the grounds to the roof. All the girls, not counting Haruhi, were wearing horribly designed bright yellow dresses. I could have done much better. I looked over to Kaoru to say that, but he gave me a look that said, "Just freaking deal with it." Of course I did; Kaoru was much smarter than me.

When all seven of us walked in, every single eye turned to watch us. The girls screamed, "MOE!" at the top of their lungs, while the boys marveled at our good looks and intelligent auras. I grinned evilly. There were so many new toys for Kaoru and I to play with.

Kaoru and I had coordinated our hair this morning so our parts were the exact opposite, and we moved in sync. I loved how people whispered about the two of us, most specifically because we were so identical. Ah, the joys of a new school. We hadn't had this much fun in ages.

The host club gathered in the main office to get our schedules and classrooms. "Hello," Mr. Suoh said cheerfully. "Welcome to Ouran High."

"Thank you for this opportunity," Kyoya replied formally. Of course, Kyoya was the one to get to know the principal first.

"No problem. Anything for my son." Tamaki blushed and smiled happily. "So, is Miss Fujioka going to be male in the eyes of the school?"

She spoke up, saying, "I don't see how it matters what gender I appear to be."

Mr. Suoh nodded. "That sounds fine with me, although I mourn the loss of her extra feminine beauty." We all gave him funny looks, but he seemed unperturbed.

"Hitachiins, here are your schedules." His hands had two pieces of paper. I thought it was cool that he saw us as two different people. That was unusual. We were both in Class 1A, because of our superior grades and awesomeness. Haru-chan stayed with us in the first year, which gave us a chance to hang out with her for the rest of the year!

Mommy and Daddy were both in the same class, and the gay uncles were as well. We were more evenly spread out now. Not really, we were pretty spread out before. Kaoru and Haruhi and I headed to class soon after our meeting with the principal. The hallways were empty, and it felt strange, but when we entered the classroom, it was even better.

All the boys and girls swarmed around us and completely submitted themselves to us. No, not really, but they loved us like crazy. Even Haru-chan's plainness made them all crazy, because she seems to be the 'normal' type and people are into that.

Well, 'all' wasn't really 'all'. One girl at the very back of the room was silent and staring out the window. Her looks were familiar, way too familiar actually. I broke away from the crowd with much difficulty and walked over to her. She didn't turn when I asked, "Hello? What's your name?"

The fact that she didn't turn kind of pissed me off, so I tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked at me for the first time. I noticed first that there were earbuds dangling from her perfectly formed ears. And then I noticed why her face was so familiar. "Zoe?" I asked incredulously.

She smiled with a dimple in just her left cheek. Damn, that was cute. "Hospital Boy. Welcome to our land."

"Yeah," I said, probably blushing down to my roots.

"Anything you want to know?" she asked.

I started shaking my head, but then I rethought that. "Is the seat next to you taken?"

"Nope." Zoe patted the spot across from her. I sat gratefully, happy to be away from the noisy people.

"So, what were you listening to?" Zoe didn't answer. "Come on, it cannot be that embarrassing. I want to be a fashion designer, so nothing you could tell me would be more embarrassing than that."

She smiled a little. "You really want to be a fashion designer? Kind of an unusual occupation."

I grinned. "Music, my dear American."

She pulled and held my hand close to her chest for a moment. I felt jittery and like I wanted her to move away, but I really didn't. Eventually, I did move away, and she smirked in triumph. "If you really want to know, it was the Black Butler Season 1 theme song."

My mouth fell open in mock surprise. "Prodigies have such strange habits. I must know more about these things."

* * *

Haruhi POV

As class started, I noticed Hika talking enthusiastically with the short-haired girl next to him. It was maybe the first time I'd seen him so animated when speaking to someone that wasn't his brother. I didn't pay him much more attention, though. The classes were more difficult than the ones at our old school by a long shot. I thought about studying for tests again, more than ever.

Just like at our old school, all the years were together for lunch. The twins and I looked for Kyoya and Tama and the third years, and the only reason we found them was because of the huge crowd surrounding them. "Haruhi-kun, are you friends with them?" a shy girl named Miyabi asked.

I answered, "Yes," with a little smile. She blushed and ran off to be with her friends.

"Did you even notice she referred to you as a boy?" Kaoru had a slightly exasperated tone in his voice.

"I caught the 'kun' honorific, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I am wearing the boy's uniform, after all."

Kaoru sighed. "I almost wish we could be at the other school, just because you can't be a girl here, and you were such a cute girl."

I huffed. "Yeah right. Besides, not everyone can think I'm a guy."

I was proven completely wrong when Aiko-senpai and her friends (on the other side of the cafeteria) began talking about me as 'that cute, gay Haruhi-kun'. They still were interested in whether I was bi, but two of them were firmly convinced I was gay. Apparently, I made a better boy than Tamaki originally thought.

The twins and I headed over to the table with our friends and politely asked the girls occupying it to let us sit down, which they did, fangirling all the way to the next nearest table. I sighed. Hopefully the crowds would disperse a bit later. Kyoya made sure none of the girls were looking before softly kissing me on the corner of my mouth. The public affection wasn't like him, but because this was a new school, I was very grateful for it. Tama was missing Umehito, who had disappeared not long into lunch. None of us knew where he went, but I knew the platinum-haired boy was up to something. This was judging from the wink he'd sent me earlier today.

Umehito had insisted on coming in his own car this morning, and had said his hello to Tama in the empty hallway during classes, both with use of a hall pass. What they didn't say was exactly how long they'd kissed out there. I smiled at the thought at their over-affectionate tendencies.

Nobody noticed the person coming up behind Tamaki as lunch ended. They were dressed in a black cloak and had a cat puppet slipped over one of their hands. "Hello my love," they said creepily. Needless to say, Tama jumped out of his seat in absolute terror before he saw who it was.

"Ume?" he asked. The figure grinned scarily and flipped back the hood of their cloak. It was Umehito, and he looked pretty good in that stuff.

"Yep. You remember the roller coaster ride?" Tama nodded. "To make up for that mistake, I'm going to find out ways to scare you. Plus, I joined the Black Magic Club, and I really like it there. The curses have ingredients like the recipes our restaurant makes, so it's easier for me." He beamed happily. "I feel very good here."

Tama pulled the cloak around himself, making Umehito have to come closer. When both were covered in the black material, I assumed they were kissing, but they could just have been whispering sweet things to each other. My brother was incredibly happy with Umehito-senpai, and I hoped they would always be there to help each other. Kyoya saw my expression and squeezed my hand gently. "How are you?" he asked.

"Amazing," I replied, curling into his shoulder.

* * *

Mori POV

It shouldn't have surprised me that the prestigious Ouran High School had a Music Room Three, but it did. All the club members were arranging themselves in formation for the club to open. As we did that, I realized something and quickly wrote it down.

Mitsukune picked it up and read it aloud, blushing in the process. "Is it just me, or is Mitsukune getting shorter? Am I getting taller?"

Tamaki completely denied it, but Kyoya took out a measuring device and proclaimed, "Mori-senpai has grown 15 centimeters since we last measured heights for the school. Those measurements are several months old, but still, it's quite unusual."

Mitsukune's mouth fell open, but he didn't make a move to close it. "I need some cake," he said.

Tamaki found some that we were going to serve to the guests. He devoured it in ten seconds flat, thanking Tamaki, but then asking if he could have some more. After three servings of cake, Mitsukune sat abruptly on a couch and pulled me down with him. "I don't want to be short." His voice was slightly childish and stubborn. I saw a fleck of frosting on his lip and reached my finger out to wipe it away. His blush from earlier had come back, but this time he was going to do something about it. He put his small hands on either side of my face and kissed me deeply. The cake was delicious, but that might have been just Mitsukune's mouth.

The twins wolf-whistled behind us, causing Mitsukune to break away rather too quickly. Kyoya just smiled one of his rare smiles and told us all to get into our places for club activities. We arranged ourselves with Tamaki in the middle, the twins on the right, Kyoya and Haruhi on the left, and Mitsukune and I in the back.

We probably made a good picture: the boys of all years, the girl hiding with us, the affection spilling from us, the hotness many said we had. The host club, I thought to myself, will never break up. We will always be together.

The doors slightly opened, allowing the barest amounts of voices come into the room.

* * *

Everyone POV

"Welcome!"

* * *

**This is officially my longest chapter. I didn't mean to make it this long. I can't believe there is only one last chapter of this story left! Thank you all for staying with me! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Oh my gosh, this is the last official chapter! I'm kind of sad, but I love the story to pieces and it deserves a good ending. Here you are, my loves. **

* * *

Kyoya POV

Haruhi stood across from me at the little altar Ranka had ordered for the occasion. She looked absolutely beautiful, even though she seemed slightly uncomfortable in the dress. We stepped apart from each other, but still lined up perfectly. Her hair had grown out to about shoulder length since we entered Ouran High. Someone, probably Tamaki, had put a little bit of blush and lip gloss on her. I wanted to walk those few steps and kiss the gloss off of her lips.

Music started to play, something too formal and stuffy. Haruhi rolled her eyes at me, noticing it just as I did. I smirked a little, but not enough for the recording devices to catch. My glasses kept slipping down my nose, and I kept having to subtly adjust them. Annoying. There was an awkward pause in activity that agitated the easily agitated guests, and I shifted my footing. Who had forgotten something?

Finally, the person we were waiting for walked down the aisle. They carried two roses tied together, one black and one white, which perfectly matched the tuxedo I'd ordered from a very prestigious company. I felt accomplished, and I felt oddly proud. I'd done all this.

The previously missing person apologized once, but faced the person in front of me, also blocking my view of Haruhi. It was petty, but it annoyed me a little. I forgave him very quickly. It was hard to stay mad at him lately, especially since he'd spent so much time sleeping on Tamaki's couch, in full view of me, who generally was in the vicinity. But soon there would be no reason for him to crash, completely exhausted, on Tamaki's couch.

"We are gathered today, in the presence of all these people, to join in matrimony these two men," the pastor started. "If anyone has any objections to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

I was surprised to note that in one of the middle rows sat someone that I knew would have objected not too long ago. But he stayed silent, merely smiling at the people standing at the altar. Strange. "Just get on with the 'I do's already!" a slightly nervous, but resolute and excited voice said. I smiled at him, but as his back was to me, I knew he couldn't see it.

The pastor laughed. "Alright, I can save some of the pomp and circumstance, but not all of it." He took out a small stack of papers and began reading from them. "Do you, Rene Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh, take Umehito Nekozawa to be your lawfully wedded husband? I know you two have your own vows, so I'll just start with that."

"I do. Forever." Tamaki's back was to me, but I could still feel his eyes shining.

"And do you, Umehito Nekozawa, take Rene Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Of course I do." Umehito's face was contorted in a failing attempt to not cry.

"I'll let you read your vows now. They are probably much better than that stuff I was just reading." Almost the entire assembly nodded, which made the pastor laugh. "Come on, they weren't that bad. Whoever wants to start can."

Umehito fiddled with a piece of notepad paper in his hands, but then began to read. "When I met you, with your little paper crane and your purple eyes, I thought you and I would somehow get along in our own strange way. I knew it was a big deal when I thought about you the rest of the day, and when we exchanged numbers, and when I liked being around someone so bright.

"You always looked at me like I couldn't be overlooked, like I mattered so much more than I thought at the time. Do you remember that I asked you out first? I was so scared that day, because I'd never been in love with a guy before, and I didn't want to mess anything up. But you didn't reject me. I knew I was in love with you, and I hoped that you felt the same way because I wanted you forever and ever.

"When you moved to Ouran High, you took me with you. And we practically breathed mayhem and kisses and I knew then that I _could_ have you forever and ever. And here we are, getting married, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am in love with you Tamaki. I," his voice broke off in tears, "am in love with you," he whispered.

He held a hand to his face and muttered, "Okay, now Tamaki, you go. It's your turn to cry like this."

"He already is," the twins chorus from the front row.

Tamaki didn't deny it, and I couldn't see anyway, so I assumed he was. "When I saw you for the first time, I fell in love. But I knew you might have qualms and things, and I tried to stop thinking about you, but I couldn't. After the first host club ended, I just collapsed against a locker and thought, 'Why didn't I talk to him more?' And you came up to me. There was a serious butterflies and excitement thing going on in my stomach, and when I went home with your number in your clean handwriting on my hand, I couldn't sleep.

"You dropped by my homeroom more and more often, just to see me. We talked for hours on the phone at midnight. You would say something sarcastic, and I would get it, and we would laugh together, and no one would have any idea why. When you asked me out, and there was that long list of people for you to serve, you always made sure I was alright, even though Ranka was one of the people watching me and making you get him coffee every few minutes.

"I have a secret I never told you. On that date, when I had that explosion of blood coming out of my nose and tears coming from my eyes, just like now actually, I was daydreaming that I'd asked you to marry me. I knew I was going to marry you before our first date had even really started. I knew it, like I know it now." His voice was quivering and choked. Neither of them admitted their feelings in a dignified way, and somehow that made it all the more emotional. "I was in love with you then, I am in love with you now, and I will be in love with you forever. Don't ever think I won't. I vow to be beside you until I die." Tamaki crumpled the piece of paper in his hands. "Now, please Mr. Pastor, proclaim us married."

The pastor surreptitiously wiped his eyes, just as I did the same thing. "By the power vested in me by the nation of Japan, I now pronounce you husbands. You may now kiss..." Before the pastor was finished speaking, and even saying the important sentence, Umehito had crossed the distance between them and kissed Tamaki deeply. I had to look away; the moment seemed too loving and private for me to witness.

The people gathered cheered through their tears, and the two walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, the roses wound between their wrists. I took the beautiful maid of honor's arm and led her back to the doors we'd entered when this whole thing had began. Somehow, I was the best man to Tamaki and Haruhi was the maid of honor to Umehito. Tamaki would say something about him being the man of the relationship to explain that, but I thought the reason had more to do with the fact that Umehito and Haruhi had become very close friends, much like Tamaki and I. I grinned happily. Everything had turned out right for us.

* * *

Haruhi POV

The reception began about an hour after the ceremony. Of course, there were multitudes of pictures to be taken, and hors d'oerves to be eaten, and Kyoya's hand to hold. It really wasn't as bad as I would have thought it. Tama and Ume had an amazing partnership, and I was one of the first ones to see it become a forever partnership.

The photographer was someone Tama's dad was acquainted with, so he was rather enthusiastic, and it made Kyoya tired just trying to keep up with his various demands, including the poses and strange assortments of people he wanted with my brother and his husband. At one point, Kyoya kissed me in the middle of a photo, for 'de-stressing'. Tama squealed loudly, disturbing the entire company around us, and Ume just laughed, squeezing my shoulder's in a hug.

As we were milling about, greeting the guests, which were almost everyone Tama and Ume had ever come in contact with, I smiled at the memories the people brought back. Ume had graduated and become very busy suddenly, always taking extra shifts at the restaurant, while Tamaki finished high school. Tamaki was also working too much in his father's business. Kyoya and I both told the two of them to take care of themselves better and quit working so much, but they told us they had something in mind.

The day of Tama's graduation, Ume was more proud than any parent out there. He loved Tamaki so much, and announced to anyone who would listen, surprising many of the actual parents. When Tamaki came down from the stage, he immediately pulled Umehito off somewhere. In the school's garden, he proposed to Ume. Apparently they both had their moment of saying yes however, because Ume had a ring as well, and neither had any idea of the other's plan.

That seems so long ago now, I thought as Kyoya led me around. And right now, we were witnessing that love that the two of them worked so hard for. They deserved it.

"Ah, hello," a shy voice said behind me. I turned to see a boy about Ume's age that smelled like oranges. "Do you know where the grooms are? I have to tell them something important." His cheeks were flushed, and he looked happy.

I smiled. "They're probably talking to the chef."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling back. Kyo stared at him as he walked away.

"What?" I asked, swinging our clasped hands back and forth.

"He used to work with Ume, that's all." He gazed at me and pressed his lips to mine decisively. There was a little sound as he moved away, and we just smiled. "You know I love you, right?"

"Always. And I love you too." I was seeing more and more of those beautiful smiles as the days passed.

"Alright, let's go find our reserved seats," Kyo said. "They're special, right next to the two lovestruck ones."

Dinner passed in a blur of food and all the hosts acting like idiots, including my boyfriend. He insisted on feeding me, like a child. They were all being very lovable idiots, though, so I didn't care (and kind of joined in). When Tama and Ume showed up to cut the cake, both their faces were bright red. We all assumed where they'd been, but I didn't actually verbalize it, unlike some other people. Ume shoved cake in Tama's face, and Tama failed miserably to return the gesture. But Umehito ended up kissing the frosting off Tama's features, not making it a total loss.

After all of that, the dance floor opened. Kyo whirled me around expertly, and Hani (who'd taken the nickname Honey after everyone discovered his love for cake and sweet disposition) spun Mori-senpai enough to make him sick. Those two were probably going to get married; I couldn't see them spending the rest of their lives with anyone else. The twins danced with each other, but Hikaru often left his brother to dance a slow song with Zoe, the foreign prodigy that he'd fallen head over heels for. The happiness would have overwhelmed me not too long ago, but didn't.

Finally, Tama and Ume stepped onto the floor, and a song came on that I knew the two of them loved. They put their arms around each other and began to dance.

_"Six on the second hand, two New Year's resolutions_

_"And there's no question what this man should do_

_"Take all the time lost, all those days that I cost_

_"Take what and I took and give it back to you." _

The chorus began in a swell of sound. _"All this time, we were waiting for each other_

_"All this time, I was waiting for you_

_"Got all these words, can't waste them on another_

_"So I straighten a straight line, run it back to you." _

The two moved closer, and Tama put his head on Ume's shoulder. Couples joined them on the dance floor as the song went on, not understanding the words, but the meaning of love in them.

_"I don't know what day it is, I had to check the papers_

_"I know the city, but it isn't home_

_"They say I'm lucky to love something that loves me_

_"But I'm torn as I can be wherever I roam." _The one difference with this song was that both my brother and my best friend knew where they wanted to be and weren't at all confused like the songwriter.

_"All this time, we were waiting for each other_

_"All this time I was waiting for you_

_"We've got all these words, can't waste them on another_

_"So I straighten a straight line, run it back to you." _The bridge filled the space with the sound of strings pouring out their hearts to say something vital and important. Even the people in the crowd that couldn't speak English felt it, those that could felt it the most.

As the final notes of the song died out, the band leaving its last impression, Tamaki and Umehito kissed softly in the center of us, completing the dance. Kyo grasped my hand and squeezed it, reminding me that he would be here for me forever. Funny how the marriage system relied so much on forever, and how skeptical I'd been about the concept until I met him, and watched the new husbands, and laughed with my best friends. This would be forever.

* * *

Umehito POV

We sneaked away after the pictures were finally done to get some alone time. Tamaki kissed me deeply, winding his hands through my hair. "I wanted to do more of this when we kissed at the altar," he whispered. I felt his lips move as he spoke against me.

However, we were soon interrupted. "Hi, can I talk to you guys? If you're busy, I can ask later." I broke away from my gorgeous husband to see...

"Kuze?"

He grinned, a little self-deprecatingly. "The one and only."

"I knew it was right to invite him!" Tamaki triumphantly threw his hands in the air. "So, what can we do for you?"

Kuze looked down at his hands, which I noticed had more calluses and a plain, silver ring on his right index finger. "I need to apologize. I was so horrible to you, and Mori, and Honey, and myself, and I am so sorry. You are people just like everyone else, and you deserve happiness. I will never be hurtful to gay people again because of what you two said to me that one day at the park."

I was really surprised. I just assumed he came here out of politeness, not to say he was sorry for all his past behavior. "What do you think, Ume?" Tamaki asked. "I'll forgive him if you do."

I smiled at him and at Kuze. "You're forgiven, especially if he says so."

Kuze grinned, and it looked a weight went off his shoulders. "Thanks. Now, I should get back to my date."

Tama was very interested in this information. "Who'd you bring? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

I knew my coworker well enough to know he almost never blushed, and yet, he was outright blushing at the question. "Um, well, you know Honey?"

We nodded. "He has a brother, and..." he broke off, "I'm currently dating him. The brother, I mean. His name's Yasuchika, and I really like him. A lot. Okay, more than a lot."

Tamaki squealed again, and my mouth kind of fell open. This Yasuchika had reduced the sharp, moody Kuze to a flushed, adorable mess of a teenager. I wanted to meet this guy.

"So, thanks again, and congrats." Kuze waved and headed off, probably to his boyfriend.

"Who knew he was closeted," Tamaki remarked.

I kissed his forehead. "You learn new things every day."

* * *

Kyoya POV

Near the end of the night, Umehito decided to do the bouquet toss. I scoffed outwardly at the tradition, but just this once, it could give me an opportunity. All the unmarried girls gathered around him as he twirled the roses in his hands.

"You ready?" he asked. Everyone excitedly screamed yes, so he threw it back behind him. I was not expecting the outcome.

"I caught it!" Kirimi, Umehito's little sister, happily jumped up and down.

Haruhi walked over to me and said dryly, "There's a lot of old maids in this room if the five-year-old is getting married first." I laughed, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Well, that just isn't right." I knelt in front of Haruhi, my one true love. A ring box made its way into my hands. "Haruhi Fujioka, I know we're at our best friends' wedding, and we're barely as old as them, and I haven't asked your father for permission yet," I gulped, looking over at the table where Tama and Ume's closest relations were sitting, "but I have a very important question, my love and girlfriend. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Haruhi gasped as she opened the ring box. It was simple, with a single diamond in a platinum ring. The box had been burning a hole in my pocket, and I knew I didn't want to go on without telling her how much she meant to me, so this was the result. Her voice was so choked with tears, I almost didn't hear her say, "Yes, Kyoya. Yes, yes, yes!" She hugged me close and I kissed her gently, not wanting to ruin the moment with something too rough.

When Haruhi had put the ring on her finger, and the newlyweds had finished congratulating us, I pulled Haruhi by the hand to go see her father, Ranka. He didn't say anything as we approached, just fingered his glass, staring at it intently. I was getting more and more nervous when he finally looked at us and smiled. "I was wondering when you'd actually do it. Geez, you stall more than the government." He patted his daughter's head. "I'm happy for the both of you. Kyoya, you have my blessing."

I sighed in relief, and Haruhi laughed. "Now, that wasn't so hard."

I didn't know that when I went to that common public school that I'd be rewriting my whole life. I would fall in love, meet the friends I would keep until the day I died, watch one of those friends get married to the love of his life, be a part of a club meant to make people happy, propose to aforementioned love. And this was just the beginning of a new story.

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**The song is 'All This Time' by OneRepublic. I want to thank everyone who helped me write this, knowingly and unknowingly: Tennosuke, mutemia, Reagan, TheDemonsRedRose, and the people I undoubtedly missed. I'm actually going to write the disclaimer this time. I do not own Ouran High, and I never will. Bisco Hatori is the awesomeness that did that. I'm going to for sure publish something on March 14th, which is the all-important White Day, I just don't know what it will be. Thank you readers, for sticking with me until the very end. See you around! **


	17. Extra

**So, I was asked what happened to our dear twin Kaoru. He didn't end up with anyone at the end of DAAC, and I wanted to remedy that. Might be a bit short. **

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Kaoru POV

The Boss and Neko's wedding was very interesting. Actually, pretty adorable and hilarious. All my friends were happy, Haru-chan and Kyoya were engaged, Hika and his girlfriend were probably off somewhere doing things I really wanted to walk in on them doing. It was great. But where was I in all this? Standing in the corner.

Without my twin, I wasn't very occupied. Hika usually dragged me into things, and since he was missing, I couldn't be dragged into anything. I didn't have a date to the wedding either: I hadn't found anyone that liked me for me and not just for being the other half of Hikaru. He was very lucky to have Zoe, and I was so happy for him, but I could use someone fun right now.

The wedding began to wind down at about 1:00 am; the grooms ran off hours ago, and even the most alcohol-imbibed people had staggered to their hotel rooms. The staff had already started cleaning up, folding tablecloths, sweeping floors, things like that. I thought it was funny how closely my suit (which my brother designed) resembled the clothes the waiters were wearing. When I looked around, there were maybe three other guests still there.

The staff were very good at their jobs. The cleaning was getting done pretty quick. But there was one girl that kept looking over to me, and turning back to her work. She did that about six times, and then she got this fed-up look on her face. Of course, it looked as nice as everything else I'd seen of her, except that it was aimed at me, and that was a bit uncomfortable.

"Hey you!" she yelled.

I immediately froze. Not that I was moving much before, but I actually felt it. "Yeah?"

"What the heck are you doing over there? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Um..." I looked at my feet, totally losing the Club charm I learned. "I don't know..."

The girl's face softened. "You don't know what you should do? You can help me." She turned back around, walking away. I quickly shuffled after her. It was something to do, plus I felt bad watching them and not doing anything. But I was going to have a talk with Hika about my suits. Seriously.

"Alright, you can start by mopping the floor. I've mostly cleaned it off, it should be decent enough." The girl handed me a bucket and mop. "What's your name?"

"Kaoru," I answered her, hefting the bucket up. "What about you?"

"Violet James."

"Oh, sorry," I said, switching to English. "Is that better?"

Violet gave me a grateful glance (I thought) and said, "I didn't know you guys learned English."

"Yeah. We learn it in school, but I've done extra stuff the past few years, so I know it better than most people." I shrugged my shoulders, feeling kind of embarrassed.

"That's cool." She fell silent for a second. "You know, that floor isn't going to clean itself." I looked up at her, surprised, but she laughed. "Come on, the sooner it's done, the sooner you and I can get out of here and talk more about this little English habit of yours."

I still didn't know what Violet was doing in Japan, but I obviously wasn't going to get anything out of her. That was pretty strange to me. Normally, I could just start to ask a question, and people would give me a whole monologue, but Violet was different. I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not.

I dunked the mop in the soapy water and took it back out, spreading the stuff all over the floor. I'd forgotten to pull up my sleeves, so I did that as soon as I put the mop back in the bucket. Violet was watching me with a smirk. "God, you look like you've never cleaned a floor before."

"Haven't," I replied, still in English. "That was always Hikaru's job."

"And who is this Hikaru?"

"My twin brother."

Violet grinned. "What was your job?"

"Everything he refused to do. So, bathroom, outside, our room, and occasionally the kitchen. He obsessively cleaned the sitting and dining rooms, though. He needed someplace to put his work."

"Work?" Violet raised an eyebrow.

I swished the mop around the bucket again. "Hikaru wants to become a fashion designer. He's really good, actually. So his fabric and thread and fluffiness is basically in those places in the house."

Violet laughed. "That is awesome that he's got something he wants to do."

"Do you?" I couldn't help but ask.

She shook her head. "If I had an idea, it would make sense though to work a job like this until I could do something."

"Come on," I prodded. "There has to be _something._ Doctor, lawyer, diplomat, mechanic, anything?"

She huffed. "You're being awfully persistent." I motioned with my hand in a go-on gesture. "Fine. I want to be a chef."

"Seriously? You hesitated that much to tell me you want to be a chef?" I asked.

Violet glared at me. "It's so domestic and I kind of hate it."

"How can you hate something that you really want to do? That doesn't make sense."

"Says the Japanese boy speaking really good English while mopping a gay couple's wedding floor."

"Good point," I shrugged. "Want to know why I'm here?"

She made a wide sweep with her hand. "Why not?"

"I'm a guest. My brother designed my stupid suit that happens to look exactly like your uniforms. The couple is made up of my senpais, Tamaki, who Hika and I call Boss, and Umehito Nekozawa, who's been dating him since forever. Plus, I came alone to the greatest freaking love-fest ever. This is the origin of the orange-haired guy."

Violet gave me a funny look, starting to stack chairs. I was on the other side of the room with my bucket-mop combination, speaking kind of loud to her. "So, even though you weren't supposed to be working, you are mopping the floor because I asked you to."

"You make it sound like I'm some self-sacrificing do-gooder. Geez." I fumbled with the mop handle.

"Or you genuinely wanted to help." Violet smiled. "Girls like that quality."

"What, the I'll-mop-your-floor-free-of-charge quality? That's pretty lame."

"No, the helping thing." She paused. "Wait, did you expect you wouldn't get paid for this? You were going to keep cleaning and think you weren't going to get anything?"

"Um, I'm not employed by your employer. So, yes to both."

Violet walked over and smacked me none too gently upside the head. "Hey! Ouch!"

"You are an idiot. And a self-sacrificing do-gooder. Get over it."

"Okay, okay," I said, rubbing the brand new sore spot on my head. "The floor's almost done."

"Good." She nodded approvingly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Anything else you want me to do while I'm here?" I asked, sort-of-not-sort-of meaning it.

Violet looked the room over. "You can help me fold all the tables, but other than that, I don't think so." I quickly finished mopping the floor, sticking the mop back in the bucket and carrying it over to her.

"Now, we're close to being able to go home. Let's do a good job."

* * *

The clock read 3:00 am when we finally completed the work. Everyone else had gone back to wherever they came from, the waiters, the guests, the cleaners. Everyone except Violet and I. "Kaoru?" she asked, having sat in the middle of the dance floor.

"Yes?" I sat next to her. Violet curled her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest.

"Do you think I can get a job as a chef?" Her voice was quiet.

I laughed. "Of course. What kind of question is that?"

Violet glared at me. "I don't know if I'm good enough." Her face softened, though, and I knew I was forgiven for the whole laughing thing.

"If you can cook like you can clean, the whole of Japan will be lined up in front of your restaurant doors."

She looked surprised. "You really mean that?"

"I rarely say things I don't mean. In fact, it's gotten me into trouble a few times." Violet smiled, and it seemed like the world lit up. Her blonde hair gleamed in the overhead lights, and her brown eyes, kind of like Haru-chan's, sparkled.

"Thank you. That's very nice of you to say."

We stayed in comfortable silence for a while, staring at the ceiling. "Hey, Violet?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you make something for me?" I knew what kind of smile spread on my features as I thought about it. Mischievous. Hika wasn't the only one that enjoyed bending the rules. We were the devil _twins_, not just the devil twin and the one that got dragged along.

"Kaoru, that's not such a good idea," Violet warned. I'd already stood up and begun to walk towards the kitchen.

"Come on, nobody's here. The fridge and pantry should still be stocked."

Violet stared after me for a second, and then followed, saying, "You'd better be right."

I laughed. "I tend to be." The kitchen was pretty big, not as big as ours at home, but big. "Here you are, Vi. Knock yourself out." Violet looked around, and then immediately jumped on a bunch of random equipment I couldn't have named if you paid me.

She fluttered through the area, grabbing mixers and bowls and turning on the oven. Violet was a ball of energy, a rival to maybe just Tamaki. Hard-working, beautiful, not afraid to speak her mind, _really pretty,_ okay, that was enough, get a grip, Kaoru.

Vi finished whatever good-smelling thing she was working on and plated it. "Now, you have to tell me the complete truth," she said. "I don't take shit from anybody."

_I know, _I thought as I headed to the counter to find a spoon. It was a dessert, I was pretty sure you could eat it with a spoon. When I came back, I noticed Violet shifting her weight restlessly. She looked nervous. I wanted to hug her, but she probably wouldn't let me.

The dessert looked like ice cream, ice cream that was thicker and full of fruit and almonds. How could she have known I liked almonds? Some magical power, maybe. Plus, it had chocolate drizzled over it. It looked awesome, and I hadn't even taken a bite yet. I took a medium-sized spoonful, and put it in my mouth.

Holy freaking crap. This woman was an honest-to-God enchantress.

I ate the rest of the ice cream in a flash. I didn't think even Honey with his lightning-fast motions could have followed me. When I was done, I set my spoon in the sink and turned back to face Violet. She was still fidgeting, but I had no idea why.

"So...how was it?" Vi asked.

I gazed at her with a feeling I had never felt before. "Can I marry you?"

"What?" She looked so shocked.

"I would very much like to marry you, right here, right now."

"Why?" This time, her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Because..." And the words that came out of my mouth were as true as any I'd ever said. "I'm in love with you."

Vi had little tears coming down her cheeks. "You're crazy."

"Yep." I didn't bother saying I wasn't.

She smiled then. "I like that. But we need to date first."

My head fell down. I knew I was being kind of stupid, but I couldn't help myself. Violet had just walked right into my head and heart in the space of two (amazing, long) hours, and I needed to tell her how I felt in the most accurate way possible. "Yeah, of course."

Vi closed the space between us and kissed my cheek. "Come on, Kaoru. It's time to go home now." I nodded, struck dumb. She held out her hand, and I took it. We left the wedding venue with something new in mind: each other.

I guessed being left by myself earlier wasn't such a bad thing, after all. I met Vi, and that was enough for a long time.

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**End. Thanks for following the story even to this point. I really appreciate it. And Kaoru got closure! Yay! Anyway, thank you so much. See you around sometime. **


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